U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATIONOffice of Postsecondary Education

Washington, DC 20006-8544http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/index.html?exp=0

Fiscal Year 2015

Application for Grants Under

FIRST IN THE WORLD--DEVELOPMENTCFDA # 84.116F

Form ApprovedOMB No. 1894-0006, Expiration Date: 11/30/2017

CLOSING DATE: June 30, 20154:30:00 P.M. Washington, D.C. Time

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dear Applicant Letter........................................................................................................3

FITW Competition Highlights.............................................................................................5

Supplemental Information..................................................................................................8

Eligibility...........................................................................................................................10

Notice Inviting Applications..............................................................................................13

INSTRUCTIONS

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants...........................................55

Application Transmittal Instructions.................................................................................59

Instructions for Completing the Application Package.......................................................62

Instructions for the Project Narrative................................................................................64

Instructions for the Abstract and Information Page..........................................................69

Instructions for Standard Forms.......................................................................................70

Instructions for the SF 424 (Title Page)...........................................................................71

Instructions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424.............74

Definitions for Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424..............76

Instructions for ED 524 (Budget Page)............................................................................79

Instruction for the Budget Summary (Ed Form 524) and Itemized Line Item Budget......82

SF-LLL, Disclosure of Lobbying Activities........................................................................85

General Education Provisions Act (GEPA)......................................................................87

Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA)........................................................89

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs.............................................................90

Application Checklist........................................................................................................91

Authorizing Legislation.....................................................................................................92

Paperwork Burden Statement..........................................................................................97

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Dear Applicant Letter

May, 2015

Dear Applicant:

Thank you for your interest in applying for a Development grant (84.116F) under the First in the World (FITW) Program. This grant competition is administered by the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) of the U.S. Department of Education (the Department). The purpose of the FITW program is to provide grants to institutions of higher education to help ensure that they have access to and implement innovative strategies and practices that can be effective in improving student completion for high need students. The Department is please that Congress has appropriated new funds that will allow approximately $60,000,000, including a $16,000,000 set aside for minority–serving institutions, in grants to support a range of new and evidence-based, innovative approaches. The 2015 FITW program has two competitions—Development (84.116F) and Validation (84.116X). Make sure you apply in grants.gov for the specific competition you have selected.

Please carefully read the Notice Inviting Applications (NIA) and the Notice of Final Priorities (NFP) published May 11, 2015, this application package, and other documents such as the FITW Frequently Asked Questions to ensure you understand the FITW Development competition. We anticipate that the competition will be very competitive. The instructions are detailed and there are a number of mandatory documents. We will screen all applications to ensure that all required documents are included. To ensure fairness for all applicants, we will not accept late applications and we will not review incomplete applications.

This year’s FITW Development competition incorporates a few changes to reflect lessons learned from the FY 2014 FITW Program competition, consistent with the NFP, requirements, definitions, and selection criteria for this program. Please note that the FY 2015 Development competition includes three absolute priorities and one competitive preference priority. For two of the absolute priorities, we have identified multiple subparts. In these instances, an applicant must select one subpart that the proposed project will address to meet the absolute priority. This structure enables the FITW Program to build a portfolio of solutions and corresponding evidence for different approaches to addressing key challenges in postsecondary education. For this year’s competition, the page limit requirement has been reduced from 40 pages to 32 pages to reflect a reduction in the number of selection criteria each applicant will be required to address. The selection criteria are listed in the NIA, but a more detailed explanation is found in the “Instructions for the Project Narrative” section of the application package.

The application package includes all the instructions and forms you will need to apply for an FY 2015 FITW Development grant. The Department requires submission of grant applications through Grants.gov, an Internet-based electronic system, unless you have grounds for a waiver. A detailed description of the system is included in this application package. We urge you to acquaint yourself with the Grants.gov system early. It is important to note that in previous competition, some perspective applicants missed the application deadline because they underestimated the amount of time needed to complete registration and submission with the System for Award Management (SAM) and Grants.gov. Therefore, you are advised to confirm that you have an active record with SAM.

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Please let us know if you have questions or require additional information. We can be reached via email at OPEFITWdevelopment@ed.gov. FIPSE appreciates your interest in the FITW program and looks forward to receiving your application.

Sincerely,

/signed/

Ralph HinesDirectorFund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education

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FITW COMPETITION HIGHLIGHTS

1. Electronic Submission . First in the World (FITW) Program applications for FY 2015 must be submitted electronically using Grants.gov. You are urged to acquaint yourself with the requirements of Grants.gov early as the registration procedures may require several days to complete. Grants.gov is accessible through its portal page at: http://grants.gov. The requirements for obtaining an exception to the electronic submission requirement are included in the NIA for FY 2015. If you think you may need an exception, you are urged to review the requirements promptly.

2. Closing Date and Time . Please note that you must submit your application by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the application closing date. Late applications will not be accepted. We suggest that you submit your application several days before the deadline. The Department is required to enforce the established deadline to ensure fairness to all applicants. No changes or additions to an application will be accepted after the closing date and time.

3. Register or maintain registration on Sam.gov . The SAM registration process can take approximately seven business days, but may take upwards of several weeks, depending on the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and register your DUNS number and TIN. Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. Also note that you will need to update your registration annually. This may take three or more business days.

4. Register early on Grants.gov . The registration process may take up to two weeks to complete. For additional information on the registration and submission process please review the resources available on the Grants.gov Website.

5. Page Limit . Applicants should adhere to the page limit specified in the Instruction for the Project Narrative portion of the application. The NIA published in the Federal Register contains specific information governing page limits and formatting instructions. The page limit for the project narrative for the FY 2015 FITW competition is as follows:

The selection criteria to no more than 30 pages.

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The competitive preference priority to no more than 2 pages (if addressed). Please include a separate heading for the competitive preference priority if you choose to address it.

Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application narrative exceed 32 pages.

6. Format for Attachments . All attachments must be in PDF format. Other types of files will not be accepted. Please note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. You will need to log on to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You must provide the DUNS number that was used when your organization registered with the System for Award Management (SAM).

For Grants.gov related questions and assistance, please contact:Support Desk e-Mail: support@Grants.gov Support Desk Telephone: (800) 518-4726Contact Telephone Hours: 24 hours, 7 days a week, except Federal

holidaysOnline Web Site: http://Grants.gov

Also, refer to the “Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants” section found inthis application booklet.

You are reminded that the document published in the Federal Register is the official document, and that you should not rely upon any information that is inconsistent with the guidelines contained within the official document.

7. Priorities . In the FY 2015 FITW competition, the Department has established three absolute priorities and one competitive preference priority. For two of the absolute priorities, we have identified multiple subparts. In these instances, an applicant must select one subpart that the proposed project will address to meet the absolute priority. The NIA provides more detailed information about each priority. The priorities for the Development competition are as follows:

Absolute Priorities:1. Absolute Priority 1: Improving Teaching and Learning. 2. Absolute Priority 2: Developing and Using Assessments of Learning. 3. Absolute Priority 3: Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing and Transfer.

Competitive Preference Priority:Implementing Low Cost-High Impact Strategies to Improve Student Outcomes.

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8. Project Narrative. As you develop your proposal, carefully consider the page format, page limit, and sequence specifications. The project narrative should be developed in four sections that correspond to the four selection criteria as listed in the NIA and in the Federal Register. See the Instructions for the Project Narrative.

9. Performance and Budget Periods. All successful applicants funded under the FY 2015 FITW competition will receive four-year grant awards. At the end of year four, grantees may request a one-time no-cost-extension of twelve months.

10. Abstract and Information Page. Applicants must provide a one-page abstract and information page. The abstract should briefly describe the project goals, the target population, the proposed activities, and the anticipated results. The page must indicate which absolute priority (including one subpart, if relevant) and the competitive preference priority (if addressed) the application is addressing. Applicants must also indicate whether they qualify as a Minority-Serving Institution. The instructions for submitting the abstract and information page are in the Instructions for Completing the Abstract and Information Page section of this application. The abstract and information page must be uploaded into the ED Abstract Form in Grants.gov.

11. Website. Information on the FITW Program is accessible at the Department’swebsite at: http://www2.ed.gov/programs/fitw/index.html?exp=0.

12. Applicants should be careful that they download the intended FITW application package and that they submit their applications under the intended FITW competition.  Your application will be reviewed under the competition it was submitted under, and only applications that are successfully submitted by the established deadline will be peer reviewed.

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Supplemental Information

The following supplements the information provided in the FY 2015 FITW Development NIA.

1. Estimated Funding for the FITW Development Competition

Available Funds for New Awards: $20,000,000. Up to $16,000,000 is set-asidefor minority-serving institutions.

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000. Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000. Maximum Award Amount: $3,000,000. Estimated Number of New Awards: 6 - 8. Project Period for Award: 48 months.

The Department is not bound by these estimates.

2. Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs was issued to foster an intergovernmental partnership and to strengthen federalism by relying on state and local processes for the coordination and review of proposed Federal financial assistance.

3. Evaluation of Applications for Awards

A panel of four non-federal reviewers will review each application in accordance with the selection criteria. Each reviewer will prepare a written evaluation of the information presented in the project narrative section of the application.

4. Selection Criteria

The selection criteria in 34 CFR 75.210 are used to evaluate applications.

5. Applicant Funding

Applicants should pay close attention to the “Maximum Award” section of the NIA. The Department will not fund any application that proposes a budget exceeding the maximum amount specified for the project.

6. Notice to Unsuccessful Applicants

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified in writing following the notice to successful applicants.

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7. Annual Performance Report Requirements

If you receive a new grant award in FY 2015 you will be required during the funding cycle to submit annual and final performance reports using the FIPSE Grant Database. This online system collects narratives and data about funded projects to help program officers determine if a grantee is making substantial progress toward meeting approved project objectives. The database is accessible at: https://fipsedatabase.ed.gov/fipse/index.cfm.

8. Contact InformationGary ThomasU.S. Department of Education (FIPSE)1990 K Street, N.W., Room 6153Washington, DC 20006-8544Tel: 202-502-7767Fax: 202-502-7877E-mail: OPEFITWdevelopment@ed.gov

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ELIGIBILITY

AUTHORIZATIONHigher Education Act, Title VII, Part B, Subparts 741-745 as amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008.

PROGRAM STATUTE20 U.S.C. 1138-1138d First in the World (FITW) Program

ELIGIBLE APPLICANTS

Eligible applicants for FITW include institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies. An application for a FITW Development grant must be supported by a Strong Theory (as defined in the NIA) and the applicant must submit a logic model.

To qualify as an eligible Minority-Serving Institution (MSI) under the “First in the World” competition, applicants must satisfy certain criteria listed below in Section I and Section II. Carefully review the information contained in this section to ascertain if you qualify as an MSI. The Department of Education will not determine an applicant’s status prior to submitting an application.

Please note that you are not required to upload documentation in Grants.gov to verify eligibility as an MSI. If an applicant institution submits an application claiming MSI status, the Department of Education will use the most recent Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) survey information to verify eligibility as an MSI. If the Department is unable to verify an applicant’s eligibility using IPEDS data, applications will still be reviewed as non-MSI applications.

Section I. Current Eligibility Status

Applicants may indicate that they qualify as an MSI if they meet at least one of the conditions listed in this section.

1. Participated in the Department’s FY 2015 designation of eligibility process and received an approval letter to apply for grant programs authorized under Title III and/or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended.

2. Currently has an open grant under one of the Department’s Title III, Parts A and F and/or Title V programs.

3. Designated as a Historically Black College or University or a Tribally Controlled College or University.

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Section II. MSI Eligibility Determination

If the applicant does not meet any of the criteria listed in Section I, IPEDS data will be used to determine the proportion of minority students served and/or needy student and educational and general (E&G) expenditure for income eligibility.

Part I. Proportion of Minority Students Served

To qualify as an eligible MSI, applicants must meet one of the race/ethnic group enrollment levels listed below. In some cases, applicants must also meet the needy student and educational and general (E&G) expenditure requirements referenced below.

Hispanic Serving Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 25% Hispanic students. Please review income eligibility requirements in Part II.

Native American (non-tribal) Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 10% Native American students.

Asian American Pacific Islander Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 10% Asian or Pacific Islander students. Please review income eligibility requirements in Part II.

Predominantly Black Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of at least 1,000 undergraduate students that has at least 40% African American students. Please review income eligibility requirements in Part II.

Alaska Native Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 20% Alaska Native students.

Native Hawaiian Institution - At the time of application, the applicant institution has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 10% Native Hawaiian students.

Students from Underrepresented Minority Groups - At the time of application, the applicant has an enrollment of undergraduate students that has at least 50% minority students (excluding non-underrepresented Asian students). Please review income eligibility requirements in Part II.

Part II. Needy Student and Educational and General (E&G) Expenditure Criteria for Determining Income Eligibility

Applicants must meet the criteria in this section if they fall under one of the following race/ethnic categories in Part I: Hispanic Serving Institution; Asian American, Pacific Islander Institution; Predominantly Black Institution; and Students from Underrepresented

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Minority Groups. Carefully review the income eligibility information and reference tables below to ascertain if you meet the needy student and E & G expenditure requirements.

Enrollment of Needy Students Requirement:

The percentage of your institution’s undergraduate degree students who were enrolled on at least a half-time basis and received Federal Pell Grants exceeded the median percentage of undergraduate degree students who were enrolled on at least a half time basis and received Federal Pell Grants at comparable institutions that offer similar instruction. See Table 1 below for the current median percentages for institutions comparable to the applicant institution.

Table 1:  Enrollment of Needy Students – median percentage of undergraduate students receiving Pell grants, by institution level (2-year or 4-year) and control (public or private not-for-profit):  academic year 2012-2013 (n=3,062)

Public Private Not-for-ProfitTwo-year Institutions Median: 34.7% (n=939) Median: 38% (n=88)Four-year Institutions Median: 45% (n=688) Median: 44% (n=1,347)

E & G Expenditures per FTE Student – At the time of application, the average E&G expenditures for 2012–2013 base year are less than the average for its category of comparable institutions. See Table 2 below for the 2012-2013 average E&G expenditures for institutions comparable to the applicant institution.

Table 2:  E&G Expenditures per FTE Student – average core expenses per full-year full-time equivalent (FTE) student, by institution level (2-year or 4-year) and control (public or private not-for-profit):  academic year 2012-2013 (n= 3,317)

Public Private Not-for-ProfitTwo-year Institutions $11,287 (n=941) $13,657 (n= 88)Four-year Institutions $27,608 (n=700) $34,641 (n=1,588)

Note: Tables are based on academic year 2012-2013 data for all degree-granting Title IV-eligible postsecondary institutions (n=3,351).  Eligible MSIs must meet race/ethnic group enrollment levels (see text) and in addition must have the same or higher Pell grant recipient levels (Table 1) and the same or lower E&G expenditure levels per FTE student (Table 2) corresponding to their institutional classification.

Source:  Institute of Education Sciences, National Center for Educational Statistics, Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System.

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NOTICE INVITING APPLICATIONS for NEW AWARDS

4000-01-U

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Applications for New Awards; First in the World Program--

Development Grants

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of

Education

ACTION: Notice.

Overview Information:

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE)--First

in the World (FITW) Program--Development Grants

Notice inviting applications for new awards for fiscal year (FY)

2015.

Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) Number: 84.116F.

Dates :

Applications Available: May 11, 2015

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 31, 2015

Full Text of Announcement

I. Funding Opportunity Description

Purpose of Program: The FITW program is designed to support the

development, replication, and dissemination of innovative

solutions and evidence for what works in addressing persistent and

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widespread challenges in postsecondary education for students who

are at risk for not persisting in and completing postsecondary

programs, including, but not limited to, adult learners, working

students, part-time students, students from low-income

backgrounds, students of color, students with disabilities, and

first-generation students. The focus of the FITW program is to

build evidence for what works in postsecondary education by

testing the effectiveness of these strategies in improving student

persistence and completion outcomes.

For FY 2015, the Department will award two types of grants

under this program: “Development” grants and “Validation” grants.

These grants differ in terms of the level of evidence of

effectiveness required for consideration of funding, the level of

scale the funded project should reach, and, consequently, the

amount of funding available to support the project.

This notice invites applications for Development grants only.

Development grants will support new or substantially more

effective practices for addressing widely shared challenges.

Applications for Development grants must be based on Strong Theory

(as defined in this notice). The Department has published a

separate notice inviting applications for Validation grants

elsewhere in this issue of the Federal Register.

Priorities: This notice contains three absolute priorities and

one competitive preference priority.

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These priorities are from the notice of final priorities,

requirements, definitions, and selection criterion for this

program (NFP), published elsewhere in this issue of the Federal

R egister .

Absolute Priorities: For FY 2015 and any subsequent year in which

we make awards from the list of unfunded applications from this

competition, these priorities are absolute priorities. Under 34

CFR 75.105(c)(3), we consider only applications that address one

of the three absolute priorities. Applicants must specify on the

Abstract and Information page of their applications which absolute

priority is addressed in the application. For Absolute Priority 2

and Absolute Priority 3, we have identified multiple subparts.

Applicants that address one of these absolute priorities must

select one subpart that the proposed project will address to meet

the absolute priority.

These priorities are:

Absolute Priority 1: Improving Teaching and Learning.

The Secretary gives priority to:

Projects designed to improve teaching and learning through:

Instruction-level tools or strategies such as adaptive

learning technology, educational games, personalized learning,

active- or project-based learning, faculty-centered strategies

that systematically improve the quality of teaching, or multi-

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disciplinary efforts focused on improving instructional

experiences.

Note: A large percentage of students in postsecondary education

struggle academically because they arrive to college unprepared

for college-level coursework.1 These struggles make the prospect

of dropping out more likely.2 Further, for students who do

complete their courses and programs, the limited available

information on learning proficiency suggests that too many

students are lacking the critical thinking, analytical, and

communication skills needed for the workforce.3 These challenges

may be more acute for the types of students that now make up the

majority of students enrolled in postsecondary education: adult

learners, working students, part-time students, students from low-

income backgrounds, students of color, and first-generation

students. On the other hand, the research base on cognitive

1 Xianglei Chen and others, Academic Preparation for College in the High School Senior Class of 2003–04: Education Longitudinal Study of 2002 (ELS: 2002), Base-year, 2002, First Follow-up, 2004, and High School Transcript Study, 2004 (Washington: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, January 2010); Jay Greene and Greg Foster, “Public High School Graduation and College Readiness Rates in the United States,” Working Paper 3 (New York: Manhattan Institute, Center for Civic Information, Education, September 2003). Greene and Foster define being minimally “college ready” as: graduating from high school, having taken four years of English, three years of mathematics, and two years of science, social science, and foreign language, and demonstrating basic literacy skills by scoring at least 265 points on the National Assessment of Educational Progress in reading.2 Eric Bettinger and Bridget Terry Long, “Addressing the Needs of Under-Prepared College Students: Does College Remediation Work?” Journal of Human Resources 44, no. 3 (2009); Brian Jacob and LarsLefgren, “Remedial Education and Student Achievement: A Regression-Discontinuity Analysis,” Review of Economics and Statistics 86, no. 1 (2004): 226–44.3 Arum, Richard and Roksa, Josipa, Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses (University of Chicago Press, January 2011).

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science continues to grow, employers are becoming more specific in

the competencies they desire, data analytics offers greater and

more targeted insights, and new technologies offer the potential

for new methods and more differentiated instruction.

Despite these challenges and opportunities, innovations in how

students experience learning in college remain largely small scale

or limited to a small number of institutions. With some

exceptions, the same degrees and other credentials are offered in

the traditional ways, by counting numbers of courses taken or

hours taught. Methods of teaching have stayed largely static,

with the traditional lecture as the core instructional design. 

New approaches to teaching and learning, such as tools and

strategies that go beyond the traditional lecture to support

active learning, and that actively engage learners or customize

learning, must be tested and expanded to more postsecondary

institutions to improve accessibility and quality and reduce cost.

Absolute Priority 2: Developing and Using Assessments of

Learning.

The Secretary gives priority to:

Projects that support the development and use of externally

validated assessments of student learning and stated learning

goals through one of the following:

(a) Alternative assessment tools or strategies such as

micro- or competency-based assessments, assessments embedded in

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curriculum, or simulations, games, or other technology-based

assessment approaches.

(b) Aligning assessments across sectors and institutions,

such as across kindergarten through grade 12 and postsecondary

education systems or across two-year and four-year institutions,

to improve college readiness and content delivery.

Note: Learning assessment has shown promise as an effective

instructional strategy to increase student success. While

learning assessment, in the past, focused more on traditional

testing, current assessment has expanded to assess not just what

students know but also what they can do, and is embedded in ways

that inform instruction on an ongoing basis. Further, a

knowledge-based economy requires assessment of higher-order

thinking skills such as analysis, synthesis, and transfer; along

with “non-cognitive” capacities such as mindset, persistence, and

other qualities. New forms of assessments must be developed for

these purposes and tested for their benefits to students.

Assessments are also needed to measure what is learned outside the

classroom, such as through previous work experience, workplace or

community-based experiences, and other high impact engagements.

Absolute Priority 3: Facilitating Pathways to Credentialing

and Transfer.

The Secretary gives priority to:

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Projects designed to develop and implement systems and

practices to capture and aggregate credit or other evidence of

knowledge and skills towards postsecondary degrees or credentials

through one of the following:

(a) Seamless transfer of credits between postsecondary

institutions; or

(b) Validation and transfer of credit for learning or

learning experiences from non-institutional sources.

Note: Students obtain knowledge and skills through a variety of

experiences and from a range of institutions and providers. Many

postsecondary students attend more than one institution on their

way to earning a certificate or degree. Further, many student

learning experiences, such as learning that occurs through work

experience or from non-traditional education providers, are simply

not recognized.

Alternate systems and methods of assessing, aggregating, and

credentialing learning experiences are needed to help more

students reach completion in accelerated timeframes.

Additionally, new systems of portable, stackable postsecondary

degrees and credentials along transparent career pathways must be

designed and opportunities to obtain such degrees and credential

must be expanded.

Competitive Preference Priority: For FY 2015, this priority is a

competitive preference priority. Under 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2)(i) we

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award up to an additional five points to an application, depending

how well the application meets this priority. Applicants must

clearly mark the Abstract and Information page in the application

package if they intend to address this competitive preference

priority.

Note: Given the limited resources of secondary schools,

institutions of higher education, and other relevant stakeholders,

the cost effectiveness of any intervention designed to improve

student outcomes is of primary importance. In recent years,

numerous institutions, researchers, and others have begun testing

interventions that are relatively low cost but have the ability to

have a high impact on student outcomes. Many of these

interventions minimize cost through the use of technology, such as

digital messaging or predictive analytics to target interventions.

Others incorporate low cost approaches, such as non-cognitive

interventions. We are particularly interested in effective low

cost interventions because even institutions with limited

resources would be able to scale such strategies to impact large

numbers of students, and, such interventions, particularly those

that use technology, are often easily replicable.

This priority is:

Implementing Low Cost-High Impact Strategies to Improve

Student Outcomes. (up to 5 points)

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The Secretary gives priority to projects that use low-cost

tools or strategies, such as those that use technology, that

result in a high impact on student outcomes.

The selection criteria for the FY 2015 Development

competition are designed to ensure that applications selected for

funding have the best potential to generate substantial

improvements and research in student outcomes, and include well-

articulated plans for the implementation, dissemination, and

evaluation of the proposed projects.  Applicants should review the

selection criteria and submission instructions carefully to ensure

their applications address this year’s criteria.

Requirements: The following requirements are from the NFP and

apply to all applications submitted under this competition:

(a) Innovations that Improve Outcomes for High-Need

Students: Grantees must implement projects designed to improve

one or more of the following outcomes of high-need students (as

defined in this notice) in postsecondary education: persistence,

academic progress, time to degree or and completion.

(b) Evidence Standards: To be eligible for an award, an

application for a Development grant must be supported by Strong

theory (as defined in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).

(c) Independent Evaluation :

(i) The grantee must conduct an Independent Evaluation (as

defined in this notice) of its project. The evaluation must

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estimate the impact of the FITW-supported practice (as implemented

at the proposed level of scale) on a relevant outcome (as defined

in 34 CFR 77.1(c)).

(ii) The grantee must make broadly available, digitally and

free of charge, through formal (e.g., peer-reviewed journals) or

informal (e.g., newsletters) mechanisms, the results of any

evaluations it conducts of its funded activities. The grantee

must also ensure that the data from its evaluation are made

available to third-party researchers consistent with applicable

privacy requirements.

(iii) The grantee and its independent evaluator must agree

to cooperate on an ongoing basis with any technical assistance

provided by the Department or its contractor, including any

technical assistance provided to ensure that the evaluation design

meets the required evaluation standards, and comply with the

requirements of any evaluation of the program conducted by the

Department. This includes providing to the Department, within 100

days of a grant award, an updated comprehensive evaluation plan in

a format and using such tools as the Department may require.

Grantees must update this evaluation plan at least annually to

reflect any changes to the evaluation and provide the updated

evaluation plan to the Department. All of these updates must be

consistent with the scope and objectives of the approved

application.

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(d) Funding Categories:  An applicant will be considered for

an award only for the type of FITW grant (Development or

Validation) for which it applies. Applicants may not apply for a

FITW competition in which they currently have an active FITW

grant.  An applicant may submit only one FITW application in FY

2015.

(e) Management Plan: Within 100 days of a grant award, the

grantee must provide an updated comprehensive management plan for

the approved project in a format and using such tools as the

Department may require. This management plan must include

detailed information about implementation of the first year of the

grant, including key milestones, staffing details, and other

information that the Department may require. It must also include

a complete list of performance metrics, including baseline

measures and annual targets. The grantee must update this

management plan at least annually to reflect implementation of

subsequent years of the project and provide the updated management

plan to the Department.

Definitions:

The following definitions are from the NFP and from 34 CFR

77.1 and apply to the priorities, requirements, and selection

criteria in this notice:

High-need student means a student at risk of educational

failure or otherwise in need of special assistance and support

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such as adult learners, working students, part-time students,

students from low-income backgrounds, students of color, first-

generation students, students with disabilities, and students who

are English learners. (Note: The Department does not limit the

definition of high-need students to this list. This list is

illustrative and may include other categories of high-need

students).

Independent evaluation means an evaluation that is designed

and carried out independent of and external to the grantee, but in

coordination with any employees of the grantee who develop a

process, product, strategy, or practice and are implementing it.

Logic model (also referred to as a theory of action) means a

well-specified conceptual framework that identifies key components

of the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the

active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to

achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the relationship

among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and

operationally.

Minority-serving institution means an institution that is

eligible to receive assistance under sections 316 through 320 of

part A of Title III, under part B of Title III, or under Title V

of the HEA.

Nonprofit, as applied to an agency, organization, or

institution, means that it is owned and operated by one or more

25

corporations or associations whose net earnings do not benefit,

and cannot lawfully benefit, any private shareholder or entity.

Quasi-experimental design study means a study using a design

that attempts to approximate an experimental design by identifying

a comparison group that is similar to the treatment group in

important respects. These studies, depending on design and

implementation, can meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence

Standards with reservations (but not What Works Clearinghouse

Evidence Standards without reservations).

Randomized controlled trial means a study that employs random

assignment of, for example, students, teachers, classrooms,

schools, or districts to receive the intervention being evaluated

(the treatment group) or not to receive the intervention (the

control group). The estimated effectiveness of the intervention

is the difference between the average outcome for the treatment

group and for the control group. These studies, depending on

design and implementation, can meet What Works Clearinghouse

Evidence Standards without reservations.

Relevant outcome means the student outcome(s) (or the

ultimate outcome if not related to students) the proposed process,

product, strategy, or practice is designed to improve, consistent

with the specific goals of a program.

Strong theory means a rationale for the proposed process,

product, strategy, or practice that includes a logic model.

26

What Works Clearinghouse evidence standards means the

standards set forth in the What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and

Standards Handbook (Version 3.0, March 2014), which can be found

at the following link:

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/DocumentSum.aspx?sid=19.

Program Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1138–1138d.

Applicable Regulations: (a) The Education Department General

Administrative Regulations in 34 CFR parts 75, 77, 79, 82, 84, 86,

97, 98, and 99. (b) The Office of Management and Budget

Guidelines to Agencies on Governmentwide Debarment and Suspension

(Nonprocurement) in 2 CFR part 180, as adopted and amended as

regulations of the Department in 2 CFR part 3485. (c) The

Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit

Requirements for Federal Awards in 2 CFR part 200, as adopted and

amended in 2 CFR part 3474. (d) The NFP.

Note: The regulations in 34 CFR part 86 apply to institutions of

higher education only.

II. Award Information

Type of Award: Discretionary grants.

Estimated Available Funds: $60,000,000 total for the FITW

program, with up to $16,000,000 set aside for Minority-Serving

Institutions (MSIs), in accordance with the Joint Explanatory

Statement accompanying the Consolidated and Further Continuing

Appropriations Act of 2015. In implementing this set aside, the

27

Department may fund high-quality applications from MSIs out of

rank order in the competition for Development grants, Validation

grants or in both competitions.  We plan to allocate at least $20

million for Development grants but the actual amount will depend

on the quality of the proposals for both competitions.

Contingent upon the availability of funds and the quality of

applications, we may make additional awards in FY 2016 or later

years from the list of unfunded applicants from this competition.

Estimated Range of Awards: $1,000,000 to $3,000,000.

Estimated Average Size of Awards: $2,000,000.

Maximum Award: We will not fund any application that proposes a

budget exceeding $3,000,000 for a single budget period of 48-

months. The Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education may

change the maximum amount through a notice published in the

Federal Register.

Estimated Number of Awards: 6 to 8.

Note: The Department is not bound by any estimates in this

notice.

Project Period: 48 months.

III. Eligibility Information

1. Eligible Applicants: Institutions of higher education,

combinations of such institutions, and other public and private

nonprofit institutions and agencies.

28

To qualify as an eligible MSI under the FITW Program, an

institution of higher education must meet one of two criteria:

The first criterion includes: current eligibility approval

as defined by the Department’s FY 2015 eligibility process for

Title III and/or Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as

amended; an open grant under one of the Department’s Title III,

Parts A and F and/or Title V programs; or a designation as a

Historically Black College or University or a Tribally Controlled

College.

The second criterion includes: specific enrollment

percentages for minority students served; and, if applicable,

needy student and educational and general expenditure criteria for

determining income eligibility.

More information on MSI eligibility is in the application

package under the section entitled Eligibility. The Department

will screen the applications to verify MSI eligibility based on

these criteria and, if applicable, will use the most recent

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System data. In the event

an application does not qualify for MSI eligibility, it will still

be reviewed.

2. Cost Sharing or Matching: This program does not require

cost sharing or matching.

IV. Application and Submission Information

29

1. Address to Request Application Package: You can obtain

an application package via the Internet or from the Education

Publications Center (ED Pubs).

To obtain a copy via the Internet, use the following address:

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/grantapp/index.html. To obtain a copy

from ED Pubs, write, fax, or call the following: ED Pubs, U.S.

Department of Education, P.O. Box 22207, Alexandria, VA 22304.

Telephone, toll free: 1-877-433-7827. FAX: (703) 605-6794. If

you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or a text

telephone (TTY), call, toll free: 1-877-576-7734.

You also can contact ED Pubs at its Web site: www.EDPubs.gov

or at its email address: edpubs@inet.ed.gov.

If you request an application from ED Pubs, be sure to

identify this program as follows: CFDA number 84.116F.

Individuals with disabilities can obtain a copy of the

application package in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large

print, audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the person listed

under For Further Information Contact in section VII of this

notice.

2. Content and Form of Application Submission: Requirements

concerning the content of an application, together with the forms

you must submit, are in the application package for this

competition.

Page Limit: The application narrative is where you, the

30

applicant, address the selection criteria and the competitive

preference priority that reviewers use to evaluate your

application. You must limit the section of the application

narrative that addresses:

The selection criteria to no more than 30 pages, and

The competitive preference priority to no more than 2

pages.

Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application

narrative exceed 32 pages.

Please include a separate heading for the competitive

preference priority if you choose to address it.

For purposes of determining compliance with

the 32-page limit, each page on which there are words will be

counted as one full page. Applicants must use the following

standards:

A “page” is 8.5" x 11", on one side only, with 1"

margins at the top, bottom, and both sides.

Double space (no more than three lines per

vertical inch) all text in the application narrative, except

titles, headings, footnotes, endnotes, quotations, references, and

captions. Charts, tables, figures, and graphs in the application

may be single spaced.

Use a font that is either 12 point or larger or no

smaller than 10 pitch (characters per inch). However, you may use

31

a 10-point font in charts, tables, figures, graphs, footnotes, and

endnotes.

Use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman,

Courier, Courier New, or Arial.

The 32-page limit does not apply to Part I, the cover sheet,

the table of contents; Part II, the budget section, including the

narrative budget justification; Part IV, the assurances and

certifications; or Abstract and Information page, the resumes

(three-page limit per resume), the citations or full studies,

appendix, or letters of support.

If you include any attachments or appendices not specifically

requested and required for the application, these items will be

counted as part of the narrative for the purposes of the page

limit.

3. Submission Dates and Times:

Applications Available: May 11, 2015

Deadline for Transmittal of Applications: June 30, 2015

Applications for grants under this competition must be

submitted electronically using the Grants.gov Apply site

(Grants.gov). For information (including dates and times) about

how to submit your application electronically, or in paper format

by mail or hand delivery if you qualify for an exception to the

electronic submission requirement, please refer to section IV. 7.

Other Submission Requirements.

32

We do not consider an application that does not comply with

the deadline requirements.

Individuals with disabilities who need an accommodation or

auxiliary aid in connection with the application process should

contact the person listed under For Further Information Contact in

section VII of this notice. If the Department provides an

accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability

in connection with the application process, the individual's

application remains subject to all other requirements and

limitations in this notice.

Deadline for Intergovernmental Review: August 31, 2015.

4. Intergovernmental Review: This program is subject to

Executive Order 12372 and the regulations in 34 CFR part 79.

Information about Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs

under Executive Order 12372 is in the application package for this

program.

5. Funding Restrictions: We reference regulations outlining

funding restrictions in the Applicable Regulations section of this

notice.

6. Data Universal Numbering System Number, Taxpayer

Identification Number, and System for Award Management:

To do business with the Department of Education, you must--

a. Have a Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number and

a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN);

33

b. Register both your DUNS number and TIN with the System for

Award Management (SAM) (formerly the Central Contractor Registry

(CCR)), the Government’s primary registrant database;

c. Provide your DUNS number and TIN on your application; and

d. Maintain an active SAM registration with current

information while your application is under review by the

Department and, if you are awarded a grant, during the project

period.

You can obtain a DUNS number from Dun and Bradstreet. A DUNS

number can be created within one to two business days.

If you are a corporate entity, agency, institution, or

organization, you can obtain a TIN from the Internal Revenue

Service. If you are an individual, you can obtain a TIN from the

Internal Revenue Service or the Social Security Administration.

If you need a new TIN, please allow two to five weeks for your TIN

to become active.

The SAM registration process can take approximately seven

business days, but may take upwards of several weeks depending on

the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM

database by an entity. Thus, if you think you might want to apply

for Federal financial assistance under a program administered by

the Department, please allow sufficient time to obtain and

register your DUNS number and TIN. We strongly recommend that you

register early.

34

Note: Once your SAM registration is active, you will need to

allow 24 to 48 hours for the information to be available in

Grants.gov and before you can submit an application through

Grants.gov.

If you are currently registered with SAM, you may not need to

make any changes. However, please make certain that the TIN

associated with your DUNS number is correct. Also note that you

will need to update your registration annually. This may take

three or more business days.

Information about SAM is available at www.SAM.gov. To

further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number

and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account, we have

prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet, which you can find at

www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html.

In addition, if you are submitting your application via

Grants.gov, you must (1) be designated by your organization as an

Authorized Organization Representative (AOR), and (2) register

yourself with Grants.gov as an AOR. Details on these steps are

outlined at the following Grants.gov Web page:

www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html.

7. Other Submission Requirements: Applications for grants

under this competition must be submitted electronically unless you

qualify for an exception to this requirement in accordance with

the instructions in this section.

35

a. Electronic Submission of Applications.

Applications for grants under the First in the World Program,

CFDA number 84.116F, must be submitted electronically using the

Governmentwide Grants.gov Apply site at www.Grants.gov. Through

this site, you will be able to download a copy of the application

package, complete it offline, and then upload and submit your

application. You may not email an electronic copy of a grant

application to us.

We will reject your application if you submit it in paper

format unless, as described elsewhere in this section, you qualify

for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement

and submit, no later than two weeks before the application

deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you

qualify for one of these exceptions. Further information

regarding calculation of the date that is two weeks before the

application deadline date is provided later in this section under

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement.

You may access the electronic grant application for the First

in the World Program at www.Grants.gov. You must search for the

downloadable application package for this competition by the CFDA

number. Do not include the CFDA number’s alpha suffix in your

search (e.g., search for 84.116, not 84.116F).

Please note the following:

36

• When you enter the Grants.gov site, you will find

information about submitting an application electronically through

the site, as well as the hours of operation.

• Applications received by Grants.gov are date and time

stamped. Your application must be fully uploaded and submitted

and must be date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system no

later than 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application

deadline date. Except as otherwise noted in this section, we will

not accept your application if it is received--that is, date and

time stamped by the Grants.gov system--after 4:30:00 p.m.,

Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date. We do not

consider an application that does not comply with the deadline

requirements. When we retrieve your application from Grants.gov,

we will notify you if we are rejecting your application because it

was date and time stamped by the Grants.gov system after 4:30:00

p.m., Washington, DC time, on the application deadline date.

• The amount of time it can take to upload an application

will vary depending on a variety of factors, including the size of

the application and the speed of your Internet connection.

Therefore, we strongly recommend that you do not wait until the

application deadline date to begin the submission process through

Grants.gov.

• You should review and follow the Education Submission

Procedures for submitting an application through Grants.gov that

37

are included in the application package for this competition to

ensure that you submit your application in a timely manner to the

Grants.gov system. You can also find the Education Submission

Procedures pertaining to Grants.gov under News and Events on the

Department’s G5 system home page at www.G5.gov.

• You will not receive additional point value because you

submit your application in electronic format, nor will we penalize

you if you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission

requirement, as described elsewhere in this section, and submit

your application in paper format.

• You must submit all documents electronically, including

all information you typically provide on the following forms: the

Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424), the Department of

Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, Budget

Information--Non-Construction Programs (ED 524), and all necessary

assurances and certifications.

• You must upload any narrative sections and all other

attachments to your application as files in a PDF (Portable

Document) read-only, non-modifiable format. Do not upload an

interactive or fillable PDF file. If you upload a file type other

than a read-only, non-modifiable PDF or submit a password-

protected file, we will not review that material.

• Your electronic application must comply with any page-

limit requirements described in this notice.

38

• After you electronically submit your application, you will

receive from Grants.gov an automatic notification of receipt that

contains a Grants.gov tracking number. (This notification

indicates receipt by Grants.gov only, not receipt by the

Department.) The Department then will retrieve your application

from Grants.gov and send a second notification to you by email.

This second notification indicates that the Department has

received your application and has assigned your application a

PR/Award number (an ED-specified identifying number unique to your

application).

• We may request that you provide us original signatures on

forms at a later date.

Application Deadline Date Extension in Case of Technical Issues

with the Grants.gov System: If you are experiencing problems

submitting your application through Grants.gov, please contact the

Grants.gov Support Desk, toll free, at 1-800-518-4726. You must

obtain a Grants.gov Support Desk Case Number and must keep a

record of it.

If you are prevented from electronically submitting your

application on the application deadline date because of technical

problems with the Grants.gov system, we will grant you an

extension until 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, the following

business day to enable you to transmit your application

electronically or by hand delivery. You also may mail your

39

application by following the mailing instructions described

elsewhere in this notice.

If you submit an application after 4:30:00 p.m., Washington,

DC time, on the application deadline date, please contact the

person listed under For Further Information Contact in section VII

of this notice and provide an explanation of the technical problem

you experienced with Grants.gov, along with the Grants.gov Support

Desk Case Number. We will accept your application if we can

confirm that a technical problem occurred with the Grants.gov

system and that that problem affected your ability to submit your

application by 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, on the

application deadline date. The Department will contact you after

a determination is made on whether your application will be

accepted.

Note: The extensions to which we refer in this section apply only

to the unavailability of, or technical problems with, the

Grants.gov system. We will not grant you an extension if you

failed to fully register to submit your application to Grants.gov

before the application deadline date and time or if the technical

problem you experienced is unrelated to the Grants.gov system.

Exception to Electronic Submission Requirement: You qualify for

an exception to the electronic submission requirement, and may

submit your application in paper format, if you are unable to

submit an application through the Grants.gov system because––

40

• You do not have access to the Internet; or

• You do not have the capacity to upload large documents to

the Grants.gov system;

and

• No later than two weeks before the application deadline

date (14 calendar days or, if the fourteenth calendar day before

the application deadline date falls on a Federal holiday, the next

business day following the Federal holiday), you mail or fax a

written statement to the Department, explaining which of the two

grounds for an exception prevents you from using the Internet to

submit your application.

If you mail your written statement to the Department, it must

be postmarked no later than two weeks before the application

deadline date. If you fax your written statement to the

Department, we must receive the faxed statement no later than two

weeks before the application deadline date.

Address and mail or fax your statement to: Gary Thomas,

First in the World, U.S. Department of Education, 1990 K Street,

NW., room 6153, Washington, DC 20006-8544. FAX: (202) 502-7877.

Your paper application must be submitted in accordance with

the mail or hand delivery instructions described in this notice.

b. Submission of Paper Applications by Mail.

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission

requirement, you may mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a

41

commercial carrier) your application to the Department. You must

mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before

the application deadline date, to the Department at the following

address:

U.S. Department of EducationApplication Control CenterAttention: CFDA 84.116FLBJ Basement Level 1400 Maryland Avenue, SW.Washington, DC 20202-4260

You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the

following:

(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.

(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped

by the U.S. Postal Service.

(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a

commercial carrier.

(4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary

of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service,

we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

(1) A private metered postmark.

(2) A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal

Service.

If your application is postmarked after the application

deadline date, we will not consider your application.

42

Note: The U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated

postmark. Before relying on this method, you should check with

your local post office.

c. Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery.

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission

requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper

application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the

original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before

the application deadline date, to the Department at the following

address:

U.S. Department of EducationApplication Control CenterAttention: CFDA 84.116F550 12th Street, SW.Room 7039, Potomac Center PlazaWashington, DC 20202-4260

The Application Control Center accepts hand deliveries daily

between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30:00 p.m., Washington, DC time, except

Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays.

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail

or hand deliver your application to the Department--

(1) You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided

by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number,

including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which

you are submitting your application; and

43

(2) The Application Control Center will mail to you a

notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not

receive this notification within 15 business days from the

application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of

Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

V. Application Review Information

1. Selection Criteria: The following selection criteria for

this Development competition are from 34 CFR 75.210. The points

assigned to each criterion are indicated in parentheses. We will

award up to a total of 100 points to an application under the

selection criteria.

A. Significance (up to 20 points).

The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed

project. In determining the significance of the proposed project,

the Secretary considers the following factors:

1. The potential contribution of the proposed project to

increased knowledge or understanding of education problems,

issues, or effective strategies.

2. The extent to which the proposed project involves the

development or demonstration of promising new strategies that

build on, or are alternatives to, existing strategies.

3. The potential replicability of the proposed project or

strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for

implementation in a variety of settings.

44

B. Quality of the Project Design (up to 30 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the

proposed project. In determining the quality of the design of the

proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

1. The extent to which the design of the proposed project is

appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the

target population or other identified needs.

2. The extent to which the proposed project represents an

exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for

the competition.

3. The extent to which there is a conceptual framework

underlying the proposed research or demonstration activities and

the quality of that framework.

C. Adequacy of Resources (up to 20 points).

The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the

proposed project. In determining the adequacy of resources for

the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following

factors:

1. The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment,

supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or

the lead applicant organization.

2. The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation

to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the

proposed project.

45

3. The qualifications, including relevant training and

experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

4. The qualifications, including relevant training and

experience, of the key project personnel.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 30 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be

conducted of the proposed project. In determining the quality of

the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:

1. The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes

to be achieved by the proposed project are specified and

measurable.

2. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if

well implemented, produce evidence about the project’s

effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse

Evidence Standards with reservations.

3. The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if

well-implemented, produce evidence about the project's

effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse

Evidence Standards without reservations.

4. The qualifications, including relevant training and

experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.

Note: Successful applications will be those that have an

evaluation design that has the potential to meet the What Works

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations.

46

The What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook

describes in detail which types of study designs can meet WWC

Evidence Standards with or without reservations including both

quasi-experimental design studies and randomized controlled trials

(as defined in this notice). The response to this selection

criterion should include a description of the total unduplicated

number of students involved in the project. The term project

consultants include the person or firm conducting the independent

evaluation (as defined in this notice). The applicant is

encouraged to select an evaluator with experience in the design

and management of evaluations designed to meet What Works

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards.

We encourage eligible applicants to review the following

technical assistance resources on evaluation:

(1) What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards

Handbook:

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/references/idocviewer/doc.aspx?

docid=19&tocid=1; and

(2) IES/NCEE Technical Methods papers:

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/.

2. Review and Selection Process: We remind potential

applicants that in reviewing applications in any discretionary

grant competition, the Secretary may consider, under 34 CFR

75.217(d)(3), the past performance of the applicant in carrying

47

out a previous award, such as the applicant’s use of funds,

achievement of project objectives, and compliance with grant

conditions. The Secretary may also consider whether the applicant

failed to submit a timely performance report or submitted a report

of unacceptable quality.

In addition, in making a competitive grant award, the

Secretary also requires various assurances including those

applicable to Federal civil rights laws that prohibit

discrimination in programs or activities receiving Federal

financial assistance from the Department of Education (34 CFR

100.4, 104.5, 106.4, 108.8, and 110.23).

Prior to making awards, we will screen applications submitted

in accordance with the requirements in this notice to determine

which applications meet the eligibility requirements. This

screening process may occur at various stages of the application

review process; applicants that are determined ineligible will not

be considered further or be awarded a grant. For the application

review process, we will use independent peer reviewers with varied

backgrounds and professions in postsecondary education including

college and university educators, researchers and evaluators,

strategy consultants, grant makers and managers, and others with

postsecondary education expertise. All reviewers will be

thoroughly screened for conflicts of interest to ensure a fair and

competitive review process.

48

For FITW Development grant applications the Department will

use a two-tier review process to review and score eligible

applications. Content reviewers will review and score eligible

applications on the three selection criteria: A. Significance; B.

Quality of the Project Design; and C. Adequacy of Resources.

These reviewers will also review and score the applications which

address the competitive preference priority. Eligible

applications that score highly on these three selection criteria

will have the remaining criterion, D. Quality of the Project

Evaluation, reviewed and scored by a different panel of peer

reviewers with evaluation expertise.

Finally, if there are two or more applications with the same

final score and there are insufficient funds to fully support

these applications, the Department will consider an equitable

distribution of grants among geographic locations.

3. Special Conditions: Under 2 CFR 3474.10, the Secretary

may impose special conditions and, in appropriate circumstances,

high-risk conditions on a grant if the applicant or grantee is not

financially stable; has a history of unsatisfactory performance;

has a financial or other management system that does not meet the

standards in 2 CFR part 200, subpart D; has not fulfilled the

conditions of a prior grant; or is otherwise not responsible.

VI. Award Administration Information

49

1. Award Notices: If your application is successful, we

notify your U.S. Representative and U.S. Senators and send you a

Grant Award Notification (GAN); or we may send you an email

containing a link to access an electronic version of your GAN. We

may notify you informally, also.

If your application is not evaluated or not selected for

funding, we notify you.

2. Administrative and National Policy Requirements:

We identify administrative and national policy requirements in the

application package and reference these and other requirements in

the Applicable Regulations section of this notice.

We reference the regulations outlining the terms and

conditions of an award in the Applicable Regulations section of

this notice and include these and other specific conditions in the

GAN. The GAN also incorporates your approved application as part

of your binding commitments under the grant.

To ensure that the Federal investment of these funds has as

broad an impact as possible and to encourage innovation in the

development of new learning materials, FITW grantees will be

required to license to the public all intellectual property

(except for computer software source code, discussed below)

created with the support of grant funds, including both new

content created with grant funds and modifications made to pre-

existing, grantee-owned content using grant funds. That license

50

must be worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual,

irrevocable, and grant the public permission to access, reproduce,

publicly perform, publicly display, adapt, distribute, and

otherwise use the intellectual property referenced above (except

for computer software source code, discussed below) for any

purposes, conditioned only on the requirement that attribution be

given to authors as designated. Further, the Department requires

that all computer software source code developed or created with

FITW funds will be released under an intellectual property license

that allows others to freely use and build upon them.

3. Reporting: (a) If you apply for a grant under this

competition, you must ensure that you have in place the necessary

processes and systems to comply with the reporting requirements in

2 CFR part 170 should you receive funding under the competition.

This does not apply if you have an exception under 2 CFR

170.110(b).

(b) At the end of your project period, you must submit a

final performance report, including financial information, as

directed by the Secretary. If you receive a multi-year award, you

must submit an annual performance report that provides the most

current performance and financial expenditure information as

directed by the Secretary under 34 CFR 75.118. The Secretary may

also require more frequent performance reports under 34 CFR

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75.720(c). For specific requirements on reporting, please go to

www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

4. Performance Measures: Under the Government Performance

and Results Act of 1993, the Department will use the following

performance measures in assessing the successful performance of

FIPSE’s FITW grants:

(a) The extent to which funded projects are replicated

(i.e., adopted or adapted by others).

(b) The extent to which projects are institutionalized and

continued after funding.

(c) The extent to which the metrics used to assess and

evaluate project results measure performance under the absolute

priority the project is designed to address.

(d) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that

produce evidence of their effectiveness (i.e., meet What Works

Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations) at

improving student outcomes and college affordability, especially

for low-income students.

(e) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that

provide high-quality implementation data and performance feedback

that allow for periodic assessment of progress toward achieving

intended outcomes.

(f) The cost per student served by FITW grants.

(g) The cost per successful student outcome.

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If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from

your project on steps taken toward achieving the outcomes

evaluated by these performance measures. Consequently, applicants

are advised to include these outcomes in conceptualizing the

design, implementation, and evaluation of their proposed projects.

VII. Agency Contact

For Further Information Contact: Gary Thomas, U.S. Department of

Education, 1990 K Street, NW., room 6153, Washington, DC 20006-

8544. Telephone: 202-502-7677. You may send emails to

OPEFITWdevlopment@ed.gov.

If you use a TDD or a TTY, call the Federal Relay Service,

toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.

VIII. Other Information

Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this

document and a copy of the application package in an accessible

format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact disc) on

request to the program contact person listed under For Further

Information Contact in section VII of this notice.

Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this

document is the document published in the Federal Register. Free

Internet access to the official edition of the Federal Register

and the Code of Federal Regulations is available via the Federal

Digital System at: www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this site you can view

this document, as well as all other documents of this Department

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published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe Portable

Document Format (PDF). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat

Reader, which is available free at the site.

You may also access documents of the Department published in

the Federal Register by using the article search feature at:

www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced

search feature at this site, you can limit your search to

documents published by the Department.

Delegation of Authority: The Secretary of Education has delegated

authority to Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary, to

perform the functions and duties of the Assistant Secretary for

Postsecondary Education.

Dated:

________________________________Jamienne S. Studley, Deputy Under Secretary.

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IMPORTANT – PLEASE READ FIRSTU.S. Department of Education

Grants.gov Submission Procedures and Tips for Applicants

To facilitate your use of Grants.gov, this document includes important submission procedures you need to be aware of to ensure your application is received in a timely manner and accepted by the Department of Education.

ATTENTION – Browser Support

Grants.gov is a Custom Java Application that uses standard web-browsers as the client. Grants.gov leverages the latest web technologies such as Ajax which relies extensively on JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. Grants.gov recommends you use the most up-to-date web browser possible for the best User Experience. If you are unsure about which version of the browser you are using, please check the following places:

Microsoft IE – the About Internet Explorer setting under Help on your toolbar Firefox – the About Firefox setting under Help on your toolbar Chrome- the About Google Chrome setting under the Customize and Control Google Chrome option

(located on the far right ) in your toolbar options for your browsers.

The table below lists supported Web Browsers:

Web Browser Support CommentsMicrosoft IE 9/10/11 Supported

Mozilla Firefox Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend you have the latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may experience some issues. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest version.

Google Chrome Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend you have the latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may experience some issues. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest version.

Apple Safari Supported

Versions change frequently; we recommend you have the latest version. Legacy versions are functional but may experience some issues. It is recommended to upgrade to the latest version.

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For additional information of updates, please see the Grants.gov Browser Support Page. http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/software/browser-support.html

ATTENTION – Adobe Forms and PDF Files RequiredApplications submitted to Grants.gov for the Department of Education will be posted using Adobe forms. Therefore, applicants will need to download the latest version of Adobe reader (at least Adobe Reader 10.1.14). (Please note that in early 2013, Grants.gov discovered an issue with the newest version of Adobe Reader XI but it was subsequently resolved.) Information on computer and operating system compatibility with Adobe and links to download the latest version is available on Grants.gov at this link: compatibility table. We strongly recommend that you review these details on www.Grants.gov before completing and submitting your application. In addition, applicants should submit their application a day or two in advance of the closing date as detailed below. Also, applicants are required to upload their attachments in .pdf format only. (See details below under “Attaching Files – Additional Tips.”) If you have any questions regarding this matter please email the Grants.gov Contact Center at support@grants.gov or call 1-800-518-4726.

1) REGISTER EARLY – Grants.gov registration involves many steps including registration on SAM (www.sam.gov) which may take approximately one week to complete, but could take upwards of several weeks to complete, depending upon the completeness and accuracy of the data entered into the SAM database by an applicant. You may begin working on your application while completing the registration process, but you cannot submit an application until all of the Registration steps are complete. Please note that once your SAM registration is active, it will take 24-48 hours for the information to be available in Grants.gov, and before you can submit an application through Grants.gov. For detailed information on the Registration Steps, please go to: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/register.html [Note: Your organization will need to update its SAM registration annually (formerly Central Contractor Registry (CCR).]

Primary information about SAM is available at www.sam.gov . However, to further assist you with obtaining and registering your DUNS number and TIN in SAM or updating your existing SAM account the Department of Education has prepared a SAM.gov Tip Sheet which you can find at: http://www2.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/sam-faqs.html

2) SUBMIT EARLY – We strongly recommend that you do not wait until the last day to submit your application. Grants.gov will put a date/time stamp on your application and then process it after it is fully uploaded. The time it takes to upload an application will vary depending on a number of factors including the size of the application and the speed of your Internet connection, and the time it takes Grants.gov to process the application will vary as well. If Grants.gov rejects your application (see step three below), you will need to resubmit successfully to Grants.gov before 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time on the deadline date.

Note: To submit successfully, you must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov. This DUNS number is typically the same number used when your organization registered with the SAM (formerly CCR -Central Contractor Registry). If you do not enter the same DUNS number on your application as the DUNS you registered with, Grants.gov will reject your application.

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3) VERIFY SUBMISSION IS OK – You will want to verify that Grants.gov received your application submission on time and that it was validated successfully. To see the date/time your application was received, login to Grants.gov and click on the Track My Application link. For a successful submission, the date/time received should be earlier than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, DC time, on the deadline date, AND the application status should be: Validated, Received by Agency, or Agency Tracking Number Assigned. Once the Department of Education receives your application from Grants.gov, an Agency Tracking Number (PR/award number) will be assigned to your application and will be available for viewing on Grants.gov’s Track My Application link.

If the date/time received is later than 4:30:00 p.m. Washington, D.C. time, on the deadline date, your application is late. If your application has a status of “Received” it is still awaiting validation by Grants.gov. Once validation is complete, the status will either change to “Validated” or “Rejected with Errors.” If the status is “Rejected with Errors,” your application has not been received successfully. Some of the reasons Grants.gov may reject an application can be found on the Grants.gov site: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/applicants/grant-application-process/application-statuses.html. For more detailed information on troubleshooting Adobe errors, you can review the Adobe Reader Error Messages document at http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/troubleshooting/encountering-error-messages.html. If you discover your application is late or has been rejected, please see the instructions below. Note: You will receive a series of confirmations both online and via e-mail about the status of your application. Please do not rely solely on e-mail to confirm whether your application has been received timely and validated successfully.

Submission Problems – What should you do?If you have problems submitting to Grants.gov before the closing date, please contact Grants.gov Customer Support at 1-800-518-4726 or http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html, or access the Grants.gov Self-Service web portal at: https://grants-portal.psc.gov/Welcome.aspx?pt=Grants

If electronic submission is optional and you have problems that you are unable to resolve before the deadline date and time for electronic applications, please follow the transmittal instructions for hard copy applications in the Federal Register notice and get a hard copy application postmarked by midnight on the deadline date.

If electronic submission is required, you must submit an electronic application before 4:30:00 p.m., unless you follow the procedures in the Federal Register notice and qualify for one of the exceptions to the electronic submission requirement and submit, no later than two weeks before the application deadline date, a written statement to the Department that you qualify for one of these exceptions. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Helpful Hints When Working with Grants.govPlease note, once you download an application from Grants.gov, you will be working offline and saving data on your computer. Please be sure to note where you are saving the Grants.gov file on your computer. You will need to logon to Grants.gov to upload and submit the application. You

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must provide the DUNS number on your application that was used when you registered as an Authorized Organization Representative (AOR) on Grants.gov.

Please go to http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/about/contact-us.html for help with Grants.gov. For additional tips related to submitting grant applications, please refer to the Grants.gov Submit Application FAQs found on the Grants.gov http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/general-support/faqs.html. Dial-Up Internet ConnectionsWhen using a dial up connection to upload and submit your application, it can take significantly longer than when you are connected to the Internet with a high-speed connection, e.g. cable modem/DSL/T1. While times will vary depending upon the size of your application, it can take a few minutes to a few hours to complete your grant submission using a dial up connection. If you do not have access to a high-speed connection and electronic submission is required, you may want to consider following the instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

MAC UsersFor MAC compatibility information, review the Operating System Platform Compatibility Table at the following Grants.gov link: http://www.grants.gov/web/grants/support/technical-support/recommended-software.html. If electronic submission is required and you are concerned about your ability to submit electronically as a non-windows user, please follow instructions in the Federal Register notice to obtain an exception to the electronic submission requirement no later than two weeks before the application deadline date. (See the Federal Register notice for detailed instructions.)

Attaching Files – Additional TipsPlease note the following tips related to attaching files to your application, especially the requirement that applicants only include read-only, non-modifiable .PDF files in their application:

1. Ensure that you attach .PDF files only for any attachments to your application, and they must be in a read-only, non-modifiable format. PDF files are the only Education approved file type accepted as detailed in the Federal Register application notice. Applicants must submit individual .PDF files only when attaching files to their application. Specifically, the Department will not accept any attachments that contain files within a file, such as PDF Portfolio files, or an interactive or fillable .PDF file. Any attachments uploaded that are not .PDF files or are password protected files will not be read.

2. Grants.gov cannot process an application that includes two or more files that have the same name within a grant submission. Therefore, each file uploaded to your application package should have a unique file name.

3. When attaching files, applicants should follow the guidelines established by Grants.gov on the size and content of file names. Uploaded files must be less than 50 characters, contain no spaces, no special characters (example: -, &, *, %, /, #, \) including periods (.), blank spaces and accent marks. Applications submitted that do not comply with the Grants.gov guidelines will be rejected at Grants.gov and not forwarded to the Department.

4. Applicants should limit the size of their file attachments. Documents submitted that contain graphics and/or scanned material often greatly increase the size of the file attachments and can result in difficulties opening the files. For reference, the average discretionary grant application package totals 1 to 2 MB. Therefore, you may want to check the total size of your package before submission.

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APPLICATION TRANSMITTAL INSTRUCTIONS

ATTENTION ELECTRONIC APPLICANTS: Please note that you must follow the Application Procedures as described in the Federal Register notice announcing the grant competition.

This program requires the electronic submission of applications; specific requirements and waiver instructions can be found in the Federal Register notice.

According to the instructions found in the Federal Register notice, those requesting and qualifying for an exception to the electronic submission requirement may submit an application by mail, commercial carrier or by hand delivery.

If you want to apply for a grant and be considered for funding, you must meet the following deadline requirements:

Applications Submitted Electronically

You must submit your grant application through the Internet using the software provided on the Grants.gov Web site (http://grants.gov) by 4:30:00 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) on or before the deadline date.

If you submit your application through the Internet via the Grants.gov Web site, you will receive an automatic acknowledgement when we receive your application.

For more information on using Grants.gov, please refer to the “Notice Inviting Applications” that was published in the Federal Register or visit http://www.grants.gov.

Submission of Paper Applications by Mail:

If you submit your application in paper format by mail (through the U.S. Postal Service or a commercial carrier), you must mail the original and two copies of your application, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of EducationApplication Control CenterAttention: CFDA Number 84.116FLBJ Basement Level 1400 Maryland Avenue, SWWashington, DC 20202-4260

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You must show proof of mailing consisting of one of the following:(1) A legibly dated U.S. Postal Service postmark.(2) A legible mail receipt with the date of mailing stamped by the U.S. Postal Service.(3) A dated shipping label, invoice, or receipt from a commercial carrier. (4) Any other proof of mailing acceptable to the Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education.

If you mail your application through the U.S. Postal Service, we do not accept either of the following as proof of mailing:

1. A private metered postmark.2. A mail receipt that is not dated by the U.S. Postal Service.

An applicant should note that the U.S. Postal Service does not uniformly provide a dated postmark. Before relying on this method, an applicant should check with its local post office.

Special Note: Due to potential disruption to normal mail delivery, the Department encourages you to consider using an alternative delivery method (for example, a commercial carrier, such as Federal Express or United Parcel l Service; U.S. Postal Service Express Mail; or a courier service) to transmit your application for this competition to the Department. If you use an alternative delivery method, please obtain the appropriate proof of mailing under “Applications Delivered by Mail,” and then follow the instructions for “Applications Delivered by Hand.”

Submission of Paper Applications by Hand Delivery:

If you qualify for an exception to the electronic submission requirement, you (or a courier service) may deliver your paper application to the Department by hand. You must deliver the original and two copies of your application by hand, on or before the application deadline date, to the Department at the following address:

U.S. Department of EducationApplication Control CenterAttention: CFDA Number 84.116F550 12th Street, SW.Room 7041, Potomac Center PlazaWashington, DC 20202-4260

Note for Mail or Hand Delivery of Paper Applications: If you mail or hand deliver your application to the Department—

1. You must indicate on the envelope and--if not provided by the Department--in Item 11 of the SF 424 the CFDA number, including suffix letter, if any, of the competition under which you are submitting your application; and

2. The Application Control Center will mail to you a notification of receipt of your grant application. If you do not receive this notification within 15 business days from the

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application deadline date, you should call the U.S. Department of Education Application Control Center at (202) 245-6288.

Application Control Center Hours of Operation

The Application Control Center accepts application deliveries daily between 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. (Washington, D.C. time) except Saturdays, Sundays, and Federal holidays. Late Applications

If your application is late, we will notify you that we will not consider the application.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR COMPLETING THE APPLICATION PACKAGE

The application consists of the following four parts. These parts are organized in the same manner that the submitted application should be organized. The parts are as follows:

Part I: SF 424 FormApplication for Federal Assistance - (SF 424) Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424

*Notes: Applicants must complete the Standard Form (SF 424) first because some of the

information you provide here is automatically inserted into other sections of the Grants.gov application package.

Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the SF 424. Although the form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will only review materials/files attached to the forms listed below.

Part II: ED Form 524

Department of Education Budget Summary Form - (ED Form 524) Sections A & C (Section B is not applicable to this program. If uploaded leave blank or write in NA.(NOTE: Section C – Budget Narrative must be included as part of the Other Attachments Form.)

Part III: Attachments

ED Abstract Form Project Narrative Attachment Form and competitive preference priority (optional)Other Attachments Form

The Department of Education Abstract Form is where you attach the one-page FITW Program project abstract.

The Project Narrative Attachment Form is where you attach the responses addressing the program selection criteria and the competitive preference priority (optional) that will be used to evaluate applications submitted for this competition.

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The total page limit for the project narrative portion of the application for the FY 2015 FITW competition is 32 pages. The page limit for the project narrative for the FY 2015 FITW competition is as follows:

The selection criteria to no more than 30 pages.

The competitive preference priority to no more than 2 pages (if addressed). Please include a separate heading for the competitive preference priority if you choose to address it.

Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application narrative exceed 32 pages.

Please see the NIA for detailed information on page limits and formatting requirements.

You should include a Table of Contents for your application as the first page of this section. The Table of Contents will not count against the 32 pages you are allowed for your responses to the selection criteria.

The Other Attachments Form is where you attach:

- Key personnel resumes (3 pp limit)- Project Director resume (3 pp limit)- Evaluator’s resume (3 pp limit)- Budget Narrative - Letters of commitment- Citations

These will not be counted as part of the 32-page limit.

*All attachments must be in a .PDF format only. Other types of files will not be accepted.

Part IV: Assurances, and Certifications

ED-GEPA Section 427 RequirementAssurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B)Grants.gov Lobbying Form (formerly ED Form 80-0013)Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

*Note: All applicants must submit the “Disclosure of Lobbying Activities” form even if they have not participated in any lobbying activities. Grants.gov will not allow an applicant to submit their application without uploading this form. If you do not have any lobbying activities to report, just enter “N/A” in all relevant fields and sign and date the form prior to uploading the document into Grants.gov.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE PROJECT NARRATIVE

Applicants will attach the project narrative to the Project Narrative Attachment Form as described in Part III of the instructions for completing the application package, above.

Please note that the page limit for the project narrative must be 30 pages. Applicants that address the competitive preference priority may use two additional pages to address this priority. Accordingly, under no circumstances may the application narrative exceed 32 pages. All supporting charts, tables, footnotes, and endnotes are part of the narrative and are counted as part of the 32 page limit.

Formatting

A “page” is “8.5 x 11”, on one side only, with 1” margins at the top, bottom, and both sides. Page numbers and an identifier may be within the 1” margin. Double-space all text in the application, including titles and headings. All text in charts, tables, graphs, footnotes, quotations, references, and captions may be single-spaced. Applicants may use one of the following fonts: Times New Roman, Courier, Courier New or Arial, only. Applications submitted in any other font (including Times Roman and Arial Narrow) will not be accepted. Do not use anything smaller than a 12-point font.

Before preparing the Program Narrative, applicants should review the Dear Applicant Letter, the NIA, and program statute for specific guidance and requirements. Note that applications will be evaluated according to the specific selection criteria specified in the NIA and this package.

Selection Criteria

The Secretary evaluates an application on the basis of the criteria in § 34 CFR 75.210 of the Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR). The maximum score that any application may receive on the selection criteria is 100 points. Applicants may receive five additional points if they successfully address the competitive preference priority.

For FITW Development grant applications, the Department will use a two-tier review process to review and score eligible applications. Content reviewers will review and score eligible applications on the three selection criteria: A. Significance (20 points); B. Quality of the Project Design (30 points); and C. Adequacy of Resources (20 points). These reviewers will also review and score the applications which address the competitive preference priority. Eligible applications that score highly on these three

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selection criteria will have the remaining criterion, D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (30 points), reviewed and scored by a different panel of peer reviewers with evaluation expertise.

Your application narrative should be organized in four clearly labelled sections that correspond to and follow the order of the four selection criteria. Each selection criterion is listed below and includes three to four factors. It is followed by a description of how the criterion applies to the First in the World competition. The reviewers use these criteria in assigning points and ratings to the applications. The overall rating assessment of an application is based on the extent to which it satisfactorily addresses all parts of the selection criteria. These selection criteria serve as the overall template for submitting and reviewing applications. The four selection criteria and factors for applications in this competition are as follows:

A. Significance (up to 20 points).

The Secretary considers the significance of the proposed project.

In determining the significance of the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The potential contribution of the proposed project to increased knowledge or understanding of education problems, issues, or effective strategies.

(2) The extent to which the proposed project involves the development or demonstration of promising new strategies that build on, or are alternatives to, existing strategies.

(3) The potential replicability of the proposed project or strategies, including, as appropriate, the potential for implementation in a variety of settings.

Note: How the proposal meets this selection criterion should be explained in the first section of the project narrative. Applicants are encouraged to begin their narrative with a description of the major challenges in higher education, and then indicate how their proposal addresses these educational challenges. Applicants are encouraged to focus on novel and substantially different approaches to these challenges. Applicants are also encouraged to consider how their planned innovations could be replicated at other institutions. If the applicant conducts a literature review, an explanation of the review could be useful in explaining the significance of the project.

B. Quality of the Project Design (up to 30 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the design of the proposed project.

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In determining the quality of the project design, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the design of the proposed project is appropriate to, and will successfully address, the needs of the target population or other identified needs.

(2) The extent to which the proposed project represents an exceptional approach to the priority or priorities established for the competition.

(3) The extent to which there is a conceptual framework underlying the proposed research or demonstration activities and the quality of that framework.

Note: The applicant should explain how the project meets this selection criterion in the second section of the project narrative. Applicants are encouraged to define carefully the student population served, the number of students involved, and any challenges and needs that they are addressing through their project. Applicants are encouraged to describe carefully how their proposed approach is a new and substantially different way to address the selected priority. Applicants are encouraged to use the required logic model as the conceptual plan for the project. A simple logic model could be organized in four parts: Inputs, Activities, Outcomes, and Timelines. Inputs refer to all the resources needed to conduct the project. Activities are interventions that will be measured on multiple occasions. Outcomes refer to results derived from measuring and analyzing activities and interventions. A timeline indicates when an intervention takes place.

Logic model (also referred to as theory of action) means a well-specified conceptual framework that identifies key components of the proposed process, product, strategy, or practice (i.e., the active “ingredients” that are hypothesized to be critical to achieving the relevant outcomes) and describes the relationships among the key components and outcomes, theoretically and operationally.

C. Adequacy of Resources (up to 20 points).

The Secretary considers the adequacy of resources for the proposed project.

In determining the adequacy of resources for the proposed project, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The adequacy of support, including facilities, equipment, supplies, and other resources, from the applicant organization or the lead applicant organization.

(2) The extent to which the costs are reasonable in relation to the objectives, design, and potential significance of the proposed project.

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(3) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of the project director or principal investigator.

(4) The qualifications, including relevant training experience, of the key project personnel

Note: The applicant should explain how the project meets this selection criterion in the third section of the project narrative. Applicants are encouraged to describe the resources and capacity of the institution to conduct a successful project, for example, through letters of commitment. Letters must be appended to the application under Other Attachments. Additionally, applicants are encouraged to describe how the requested funds are reasonable in relation to the complexity and scale of the project. Applicants are encouraged to select a project director who is well acquainted with the institution and experienced in executing large and complex projects. Successful applications will be those that identify and provide a resume for the person who will be the project director. This should not be a placeholder or supervisor for someone to be hired after the start of the project. Applicants are also encouraged to address the qualifications of other key personnel.

D. Quality of the Project Evaluation (up to 30 points).

The Secretary considers the quality of the evaluation to be conducted of the proposed project.

In determining the quality of the evaluation, the Secretary considers the following factors:

(1) The extent to which the goals, objectives, and outcomes to be achieved by the proposed project are specified and measurable.

(2) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well implemented, produce evidence about the project’s effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with reservations.

(3) The extent to which the methods of evaluation will, if well implemented, produce evidence about the project’s effectiveness that would meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards without reservations.

(4) The qualifications, including relevant training and experience, of project consultants or subcontractors.

Note: The applicant should explain how the project meets this selection criterion in the last section of the project narrative. Successful applications will be those that have an evaluation design that has the potential to meet the What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards with or without reservations. The response to this evaluation criterion should include a description of the total unduplicated number of students

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involved in the project. The term project consultants include the person or firm conducting the independent evaluation (as defined in the NIA). The applicant is encouraged to select an external evaluator with experience in the design and management of evaluations designed to meet What Works Clearinghouse Evidence Standards.

We encourage eligible applicants to review the following technical assistance resources on evaluation:

(1) What Works Clearinghouse Procedures and Standards Handbook:

http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/wwc/references/idocviewer/doc.aspx?docid=19&tocid=1; and

(2) IES/NCEE Technical Methods papers: http://ies.ed.gov/ncee/tech_methods/.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE ABSTRACT AND INFORMATION PAGE

The abstract and information page is required for submission.

The purpose of this page is to provide FIPSE staff and peer reviewers a short reference guide to your application. Enter the eight items in the order listed below and use the same number format. This page is not part of the narrative page limit. You may use single spacing on this page. The abstract and information page must be uploaded as a pdf file into the ED Abstract Form in Grants.gov.

1. Applicant institution and partners (if applicable)

2. Project title

3. Project director with contact information

4. Evaluator with contact information

5. Abstract (limit 200 words)

The abstract should be a summary of the project goals, the target population, the proposed activities, and the anticipated results.

6. List the absolute priority and subpart (if applicable) used for this application.

7. Indicate whether you are requesting status as an eligible Minority-Serving Institution. If yes, please indicate the type of Minority Serving Institution (i.e. Historically Black College and University, Hispanic-Serving Institution...).

(Read the eligibility requirements for MSI submission under the Eligibility section of this application package and in the NIA).

8. Indicate the total number of (unduplicated headcount) students involved in the control and treatment cohorts over the four year period.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR STANDARD FORMS

● Application for Federal Assistance (SF 424)

● Department of Education Supplemental Form for the SF 424

● Department of Education Budget Summary Form (ED 524)

● Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE SF 424 (TITLE PAGE)

This is a standard form required for use as a cover sheet for submission of pre-applications and applications and related information under discretionary programs. Some of the items are required and some are optional at the discretion of the applicant or the federal agency (agency). Required fields on the form are identified with an asterisk (*) and are also specified as “Required” in the instructions below. In addition to these instructions, applicants must consult agency instructions to determine other specific requirements.

Item

Entry: Item:

Entry:

1. Type of Submission: (Required) Select one type of submission in accordance with agency instructions.• Pre-application• Application• Changed/Corrected Application – Check if this submission is to change or correct a previously submitted application. Unless requested by the agency, applicants may not use this form to submit changes after the closing date.

10. Name Of Federal Agency: (Required) Enter the name of the federal agency from which assistance is being requested with this application.

11. Catalog Of Federal Domestic Assistance Number/Title:Enter the Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance number and title of the program under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement, if applicable.

2. Type of Application: (Required) Select one type of application in accordance with agency instructions.

• New – An application that is being submitted to an agency for the first time.• Continuation - An extension for an additional funding/budget period for a project with a projected completion date. This can include renewals.• Revision - Any change in the federal government’s financial obligation or contingent liability from an existing obligation. If a revision, enter the appropriate letter(s). More than one may be selected. If "Other" is selected, please specify in text box provided.

A. Increase Award D. Decrease DurationB. Decrease Award E. Other (specify)C. Increase Duration

12. Funding Opportunity Number/Title: (Required) Enter the Funding Opportunity Number (FON) and title of the opportunity under which assistance is requested, as found in the program announcement.

13. Competition Identification Number/Title: Enter the competition identification number and title of the competition under which assistance is requested, if applicable.

14. Areas Affected By Project: This data element is intended for use only by programs for which the area(s) affected are likely to be different than the place(s) of performance reported on the SF-424 Project/Performance Site Location(s) Form. Add attachment to enter additional areas, if needed.

3. Date Received: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the Federal agency.

15. Descriptive Title of Applicant’s Project: (Required) Enter a brief descriptive title of the project. If appropriate, attach a map showing project location (e.g., construction or real property projects). For pre-applications, attach a summary description of the project.

4. Applicant Identifier: Enter the entity identifier assigned buy the Federal agency, if any, or the applicant’s control number if applicable.

5a. Federal Entity Identifier: Enter the number assigned to your organization by the federal agency, if any.

16. Congressional Districts Of: 16a. (Required) Enter the applicant’s congressional district. 16b. Enter all district(s) affected by the program or project. Enter in the format: 2 characters state abbreviation – 3 characters district number, e.g., CA-005 for California 5th district, CA-012 for California 12 district, NC-103 for North Carolina’s 103 district. If all congressional districts in a state

5b. Federal Award Identifier: For new applications, enter NA. For a continuation or revision to an existing award, enter the previously assigned federal award identifier number. If a changed/corrected application,

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enter the federal identifier in accordance with agency instructions.

are affected, enter “all” for the district number, e.g., MD-all for all congressional districts in Maryland. If nationwide, i.e. all districts within all states are affected, enter US-all. If the program/project is outside the US, enter 00-000. This optional data element is intended for use only

6. Date Received by State: Leave this field blank. This date will be assigned by the state, if applicable.

7. State Application Identifier: Leave this field blank. This identifier will be assigned by the state, if applicable.

8. Applicant Information: Enter the following in accordance with agency instructions:

a. Legal Name: (Required) Enter the legal name of applicant that will undertake the assistance activity. This is the organization that has registered with the Central Contractor Registry (CCR). Information on registering with CCR may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.

17. Proposed Project Start and End Dates: (Required) Enter the proposed start date and end date of the project.

b. Employer/Taxpayer Number (EIN/TIN): (Required) Enter the employer or taxpayer identification number (EIN or TIN) as assigned by the Internal Revenue Service. If your organization is not in the US, enter 44-4444444.

18. Estimated Funding: (Required) Enter the amount requested, or to be contributed during the first funding/budget period by each contributor. Value of in-kind contributions should be included on appropriate lines, as applicable. If the action will result in a dollar change to an existing award, indicate only the amount of the change. For decreases, enclose the amounts in parentheses.

c. Organizational DUNS: (Required) Enter the organization’s DUNS or DUNS+4 number received from Dun and Bradstreet. Information on obtaining a DUNS number may be obtained by visiting www.Grants.gov.

19. Is Application Subject to Review by State Under Executive Order 12372 Process? (Required) Applicants should contact the State Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for Federal Executive Order 12372 to determine whether the application is subject to the State intergovernmental review process. Select the appropriate box. If “a.” is selected, enter the date the application was submitted to the State.

d. Address: Enter address: Street 1 (Required); city (Required); County/Parish, State (Required if country is US), Province, Country (Required), 9-digit zip/postal code (Required if country US).

20. Is the Applicant Delinquent on any Federal Debt?(Required) Select the appropriate box. This question applies to the applicant organization, not the person who signs as the authorized representative. Categories of federal debt include; but, may not be limited to: delinquent audit disallowances, loans and taxes. If yes, include an explanation in an attachment.

e. Organizational Unit: Enter the name of the primary organizational unit, department or division that will undertake the assistance activity.

21. Authorized Representative: To be signed and dated by the authorized representative of the applicant organization. Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix. Enter title, telephone number, email (Required); and fax number. A copy of the governing body’s authorization for you to sign this application as the official representative must be on file in the applicant’s office. (Certain federal agencies may require that this authorization be submitted as part of the application.)

f. Name and contact information of person to be contacted on matters involving this application: Enter the first and last name (Required); prefix, middle name, suffix, title. Enter organizational affiliation if affiliated with an organization other than that in 7.a. Telephone number and email (Required); fax number.

9. Type of Applicant: (Required) Select up to three applicant type(s) in accordance with agency instructions.

A.     State Government

M.    NonprofitN.     Private

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B.     County Government

C.     City or Township Government

D.     Special District Government

E.     Regional Organization

F.     U.S. Territory or Possession

G.    Independent School District

H.     Public/State Controlled Institution of Higher Education

I.      Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Federally Recognized)

J.     Indian/Native American Tribal Government (Other than Federally Recognized)

K.     Indian/Native American Tribally Designated Organization

L.     Public/Indian Housing Authority

Institution of Higher Education

O.    IndividualP.     For-Profit

Organization (Other than Small Business)

Q.    Small BusinessR.     Hispanic-

serving Institution

S.     Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs)

T.     Tribally Controlled Colleges and Universities (TCCUs)

U.     Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian Serving Institutions

V.     Non-US EntityW.    Other (specify)

[ U.S Department of Education note : As of spring, 2010, the FON discussed in Block 12 of the instructions can be found via the following URL: http://www.grants.gov/applicants/find_grant_opportunities.jsp.]

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INSTRUCTIONS FORDEPT. OF EDUCATION SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR SF 424

1. Project Director. Name, address, telephone and fax numbers, and e-mail address of the person to be contacted on matters involving this application. Items marked with an asterisk (*) are mandatory.

2. Novice Applicant. Check “Yes” if you meet the definition for novice applicants specified in the regulations in 34 CFR 75.225 and included on the attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424”). By checking “Yes” the applicant certifies that it meets these novice applicant requirements. Check “No” if you do not meet the definition for novice applicants.

This novice applicant information will be used by ED to: 1) determine the amount and type of technical assistance that a novice might need, if funded, and 2) determine novice applicant eligibility in discretionary grant competitions that give special consideration to novice applications. Certain ED discretionary grant programs give special consideration to novice applications, either by establishing a special competition for novice applicants or by giving competitive preference to novice applicants under the procedures in 34 CFR 75.105(c)(2). If special consideration is being given to novice applications under a particular discretionary grant competition, the application notice for the competition published in the Federal Register will specify this information

3. Human Subjects Research. (See I. A. “Definitions” in attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”)

3a. If Not Human Subjects Research. Check “No” if research activities involving human subjects are not planned at any time during the proposed project period. The remaining parts of Item 3 are then not applicable.

3a. If Human Subjects Research. Check “Yes” if research activities involving human subjects are planned at any time during the proposed project period, either at the applicant organization or at any other performance site or collaborating institution. Check “Yes” even if the research is exempt from the regulations for the protection of human subjects. (See I. B. “Exemptions” in attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF-424.”)

3b. If Human Subjects Research is Exempt from the Human Subjects Regulations. Check “Yes” if all the research activities proposed are designated to be exempt from the regulations. Check the exemption number(s) corresponding to one or more of the six exemption categories listed in I. B. “Exemptions.” In addition, follow the instructions in II. A. “Exempt Research Narrative” in the attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”

3b. If Human Subjects Research is Not Exempt from Human Subjects Regulations. Check “No” if some or all of the planned research activities are covered (not exempt). In addition, follow the instructions in II. B. “Nonexempt Research Narrative” in the attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”

3b. Human Subjects Assurance Number. If the applicant has an approved Federal Wide Assurance (FWA) on file with the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP), U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, that covers the specific activity, insert the number in the space provided. (A list of current FWAs is available at: http://ohrp.cit.nih.gov/search/asearch.asp#ASUR) If the applicant does not have an approved assurance on file with OHRP, enter “None.” In this case, the applicant, by signature on the SF-424, is declaring that it will comply with 34 CFR 97 and proceed to obtain the human subjects assurance upon request by the designated ED official. If the

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application is recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain the assurance within 30 days after the specific formal request.

3c. If applicable, please attach your “Exempt Research” or “Nonexempt Research” narrative to your submission of the U.S Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424 form as instructed in item II, “Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt Human Subjects Research Narratives” in the attached page entitled “Definitions for U.S. Department of Education Supplemental Information for the SF-424.”

Note about Institutional Review Board Approval. ED does not require certification of Institutional Review Board approval with the application. However, if an application that involves non-exempt human subjects research is recommended/selected for funding, the designated ED official will request that the applicant obtain and send the certification to ED within 30 days after the formal request.No covered human subjects research can be conducted until the study has ED clearance for protection of human subjects in research.

Paperwork Burden Statement. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0007. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average between 15 and 45 minutes per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-0170. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form write directly to: (insert program office), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202.

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DEFINITIONS FOR DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION FOR SF 424

(Attachment to Instructions for Supplemental Information for SF 424)

Definitions:

Novice Applicant (See 34 CFR 75.225). For discretionary grant programs under which the Secretary gives special consideration to novice applications, a novice applicant means any applicant for a grant from ED that—

Has never received a grant or subgrant under the program from which it seeks funding;

Has never been a member of a group application, submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, that received a grant under the program from which it seeks funding; and

Has not had an active discretionary grant from the Federal government in the five years before the deadline date for applications under the program. For the purposes of this requirement, a grant is active until the end of the grant’s project or funding period, including any extensions of those periods that extend the grantee’s authority to obligate funds.

In the case of a group application submitted in accordance with 34 CFR 75.127-75.129, a group includes only parties that meet the requirements listed above.

PROTECTION OF HUMAN SUBJECTS IN RESEARCH

I. Definitions and Exemptions

A. Definitions.

A research activity involves human subjects if the activity is research, as defined in the Department’s regulations, and the research activity will involve use of human subjects, as defined in the regulations.

—Research

The ED Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, Title 34, Code of Federal Regulations, Part 97, define research as “a systematic investigation, including research development, testing and evaluation, designed to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge.” If an activity follows a deliberate plan whose purpose is to develop or contribute to generalizable knowledge it is research. Activities which meet this definition constitute research whether or not they are conducted or supported under a program that is considered research for other purposes. For example, some demonstration and service programs may include research activities.

—Human Subject

The regulations define human subject as “a living individual about whom an investigator (whether professional or student) conducting research obtains (1) data through intervention or interaction with the individual, or (2) identifiable private information.” (1) If an activity involves obtaining information about a living person by manipulating that person or that person’s environment, as might occur when a new instructional technique is tested, or by communicating or interacting with the individual, as occurs with surveys and interviews, the definition of human subject is met. (2) If an activity involves obtaining private information about a living person in such a way that the information can be linked to that individual (the identity of the subject is or may be readily determined by the investigator or associated with the information), the definition of human subject is met. [Private information includes information about behavior that occurs in a context in which an individual can reasonably expect that no observation or recording is taking place, and information which has been provided for specific purposes by an individual and which the individual can reasonably expect will not be made public (for example, a school health record).]

B. Exemptions.

Research activities in which the only involvement of human subjects will be in one or more of the following six categories of exemptions are not covered by the regulations:

(1) Research conducted in established or commonly accepted educational settings, involving normal educational practices, such as (a) research on regular and special education instructional strategies, or (b) research on the effectiveness of or the comparison among instructional techniques, curricula, or classroom management methods.

(2) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior, unless: (a) information obtained is recorded in such a manner that human subjects can be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects; and (b) any disclosure of the human subjects’ responses outside the research could reasonably place the subjects at risk of criminal or civil liability or be damaging to the subjects’ financial standing, employability, or reputation. If the subjects are children, exemption 2 applies only to research involving educational tests and observations of public behavior when the investigator(s) do not participate in the activities being observed.

Exemption 2 does not apply if children are surveyed or interviewed or if the research involves observation of public

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behavior and the investigator(s) participate in the activities being observed. [Children are defined as persons who have not attained the legal age for consent to treatments or procedures involved in the research, under the applicable law or jurisdiction in which the research will be conducted.]

(3) Research involving the use of educational tests (cognitive, diagnostic, aptitude, achievement), survey procedures, interview procedures or observation of public behavior that is not exempt under section (2) above, if the human subjects are elected or appointed public officials or candidates for public office; or federal statute(s) require(s) without exception that the confidentiality of the personally identifiable information will be maintained throughout the research and thereafter.

(4) Research involving the collection or study of existing data, documents, records, pathological specimens, or diagnostic specimens, if these sources are publicly available or if the information is recorded by the investigator in a manner that subjects cannot be identified, directly or through identifiers linked to the subjects.

(5) Research and demonstration projects which are conducted by or subject to the approval of department or agency heads, and which are designed to study, evaluate, or otherwise examine: (a) public benefit or service programs; (b) procedures for obtaining benefits or services under those programs; (c) possible changes in or alternatives to those programs or procedures; or (d) possible changes in methods or levels of payment for benefits or services under those programs.

(6) Taste and food quality evaluation and consumer acceptance studies, (a) if wholesome foods without additives are consumed or (b) if a food is consumed that contains a food ingredient at or below the level and for a use found to be safe, or agricultural chemical or environmental contaminant at or below the level found to be safe, by the Food and Drug Administration or approved by the Environmental Protection Agency or the Food Safety and Inspection Service of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

II. Instructions for Exempt and Nonexempt Human Subjects Research Narratives

If the applicant marked “Yes” for Item 3 of Department of Education Supplemental Information for SF 424, the applicant must provide a human subjects “exempt research” or “nonexempt research” narrative. Insert the narrative(s) in the space provided. If you have multiple projects and need to provide more than one narrative, be sure to label each set of responses as to the project they address.

A. Exempt Research Narrative.If you marked “Yes” for item 3 a. and designated exemption numbers(s), provide the “exempt research” narrative. The narrative must contain sufficient information about the involvement of human subjects in the proposed research to allow a determination by ED that the designated exemption(s) are appropriate. The narrative must be succinct.

B. Nonexempt Research Narrative.

If you marked “No” for item 3 a. you must provide the “nonexempt research” narrative. The narrative must address the following seven points. Although no specific page limitation applies to this section of the application, be succinct.

(1) Human Subjects Involvement and Characteristics: Provide a detailed description of the proposed involvement of human subjects. Describe the characteristics of the subject population, including their anticipated number, age range, and health status. Identify the criteria for inclusion or exclusion of any subpopulation. Explain the rationale for the involvement of special classes of subjects, such as children, children with disabilities, adults with disabilities, persons with mental disabilities, pregnant women, prisoners, institutionalized individuals, or others who are likely to be vulnerable

(2) Sources of Materials: Identify the sources of research material obtained from individually identifiable living human subjects in the form of specimens, records, or data. Indicate whether the material or data will be obtained specifically for research purposes or whether use will be made of existing specimens, records, or data.

(3) Recruitment and Informed Consent: Describe plans for the recruitment of subjects and the consent procedures to be followed. Include the circumstances under which consent will be sought and obtained, who will seek it, the nature of the information to be provided to prospective subjects, and the method of documenting consent. State if the Institutional Review Board (IRB) has authorized a modification or waiver of the elements of consent or the requirement for documentation of consent.

(4) Potential Risks: Describe potential risks (physical, psychological, social, legal, or other) and assess their likelihood and seriousness. Where appropriate, describe alternative treatments and procedures that might be advantageous to the subjects.

(5) Protection Against Risk: Describe the procedures for protecting against or minimizing potential risks, including risks to confidentiality, and assess their likely effectiveness. Where appropriate, discuss provisions for ensuring necessary medical or professional intervention in the event of adverse effects to the subjects. Also, where appropriate, describe the provisions for monitoring the data collected to ensure the safety of the subjects.

(6) Importance of the Knowledge to be Gained: Discuss the importance of the knowledge gained or to be gained as a result of the proposed research. Discuss why the risks to subjects are reasonable in relation to the anticipated benefits to subjects and in relation to the importance of the knowledge that may reasonably be expected to result.

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(7) Collaborating Site(s): If research involving human subjects will take place at collaborating site(s) or other performance site(s), name the sites and briefly describe their involvement or role in the research.

Copies of the Department of Education’s Regulations for the Protection of Human Subjects, 34 CFR Part 97 and other pertinent materials on the protection of human subjects in research are available from the U.S. Department of Education, Protection of Human Subjects Coordinator, Office of the Chief Financial Officer, LBJ Building, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20202-4250, telephone: (202) 260-3353, and on the U.S. Department of Education’s Protection of Human Subjects in Research Web Site: http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ocfo/humansub.html

NOTE: The State Applicant Identifier on the SF 424 is for State Use only. Please complete it on the OMB Standard 424 in the upper right corner of the form (if applicable).

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR ED 524

General Instructions

This form is used to apply to individual U.S. Department of Education (ED) discretionary grant programs. Unless directed otherwise, provide the same budget information for each year of the multi-year funding request. Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions, if attached. You may access the Education Department General Administrative Regulations, 34 CFR 74 – 86 and 97-99, on ED’s website at:

http://www.ed.gov/policy/fund/reg/edgarReg/edgar.html

You must consult with your Business Office prior to submitting this form.

Section A - Budget Summary

U.S. Department of Education Funds

All applicants must complete Section A and provide a break-down by the applicable budget categories shown in lines 1-11.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year for which funding is requested, show the total amount requested for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget category. If funding is requested for only one project year, leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total budget request for each project year for which funding is requested.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount requested for all project years. If funding is requested for only one year, leave this space blank.

Indirect Cost Information: On line 10 (ED Form 524), provide the amount of indirect costs that you propose to charge against the grant.

All grants awarded under the FITW Program are designated as training grants. The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) limit reimbursement to grantees for indirect costs they incur under training grants to the grantee’s actual indirect costs as determined by the grantee’s negotiated indirect cost agreement or a maximum of 8 percent of a modified total direct cost base, whichever is less. (NOTE: This limitation does not apply to State agencies, or local governments, or federally recognized Indian tribal governments. [§75.562(c) (2) (3): If you are applying for a grant under a Restricted Rate Program (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563), indicate whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that is included on your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement or whether you are using a restricted indirect cost rate that complies with 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Note: State or Local government agencies may not use the provision for a restricted indirect cost rate specified in 34 CFR 76.564(c)(2). Check only one response. Leave blank, if this item is not applicable.

Section B - Budget SummaryNon-Federal Funds

There is no cost share or match in FITW. The instructions for Section B do not apply to the FITW program. Leave this section blank or write in N/A.

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If you are required to provide or volunteer to provide cost-sharing or matching funds or other non-Federal resources to the project, these should be shown for each applicable budget category on lines 1-11 of Section B.

Lines 1-11, columns (a)-(e): For each project year, for which matching funds or other contributions are provided, show the total contribution for each applicable budget category.

Lines 1-11, column (f): Show the multi-year total for each budget category. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this column blank.

Line 12, columns (a)-(e): Show the total matching or other contribution for each project year.

Line 12, column (f): Show the total amount to be contributed for all years of the multi-year project. If non-Federal contributions are provided for only one year, leave this space blank.

Section C - Budget Narrative [Attach separate sheet(s)]Pay attention to applicable program specific instructions,

if attached.

1. Provide an itemized budget breakdown, and justification by project year, for each budget category listed in Sections A. For grant projects that will be divided into two or more separately budgeted major activities or sub-projects, show for each budget category of a project year the breakdown of the specific expenses attributable to each sub-project or activity.

2. This section does not apply to the FITW Program. For non-Federal funds or resources listed in Section B that are used to meet a cost-sharing or matching requirement or provided as a voluntary cost-sharing or matching commitment, you must include:

3.a. The specific costs or contributions by budget category;

b. The source of the costs or contributions; and

c. In the case of third-party in-kind contributions, a description of how the value was determined for the donated or contributed goods or services.

[Please review ED’s general cost sharing and matching regulations, which include specific limitations, in 34 CFR 74.23, applicable to non-governmental entities, and 80.24, applicable to governments, and the applicable Office of Management and Budget (OMB) cost principles for your entity type regarding donations, capital assets, depreciation and use allowances. OMB cost principle circulars are available on OMB’s website at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/circulars/index.html]

4. If applicable to this program, provide the rate and base on which fringe benefits are calculated.

5. If you are requesting reimbursement for indirect costs on line 10, this information is to be completed by your Business Office. Specify the estimated amount of the base to which the indirect cost rate is applied and the total indirect expense. Depending on the grant program to which you are applying and/or your approved Indirect Cost Rate Agreement, some direct cost budget categories in your grant application budget may not be included in the base and multiplied by your indirect cost rate. For example, you must multiply the indirect cost rates of “Training grants" (34 CFR 75.562) and grants under programs with “Supplement not Supplant” requirements ("Restricted Rate" programs) by a “modified total direct cost” (MTDC) base (34 CFR 75.563 or 76.563). Please indicate which costs are included and which costs are excluded from the base to which the indirect cost rate is applied.

When calculating indirect costs (line 10) for "Training grants" or grants under "Restricted Rate" programs, you must refer to the information and examples on ED’s website at: http://www.ed.gov/fund/grant/apply/appforms/appforms.html.

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You may also contact (202) 377-3838 for additional information regarding calculating indirect cost rates or general indirect cost rate information.

6. Provide other explanations or comments you deem necessary.

Paperwork Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0006. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to vary from 13 to 22 hours per response, with an average of 17.5 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data sources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, Washington, D.C. 20202-4537. If you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual submission of this form, write directly to (insert program office), U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202.

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INSTRUCTIONS FOR THE BUDGET SUMMARY (ED Form 524)AND ITEMIZED LINE ITEM BUDGET

NOTE: Applicants must submit: (1) budget information that categorizes the requested funds (ED Form 524, Section A), AND (2) a detailed budget narrative (Section C) for each year of the budget period. Section B, Non-federal funds does not apply to this competition.

The budget summary is to be included on the Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524).

The budget narrative is to be included as part of “Other Attachments.”

This section requests information on the applicant’s financial plan for carrying out the project. Submit an annual budget for four years plus a total for the entire period.

The federal and any non-federal shares are to be included on the Budget Information – Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524).

The Budget Information-Section A – Budget Summary – Non-Construction Programs (ED Form 524) and the Budget Narrative must include all costs that are allowable, reasonable and necessary for carrying out the objectives of the FITW Program. Among the costs that may be supported with grant funds are:

1. Personnel : On line 1 (ED Form 524), enter only the project personnel salaries and wages. Fees and expenses for consultants/evaluators should be included on line 6. The budget should include the total commitment of time and the total salary to be charged to the project for each key staff member. You should provide a breakdown of project personnel that includes: the position titles; the percent of time and number of months committed to the project for each key staff member; the salary for each key staff member; and the total salary costs to be charged to the grant.

2. Fringe Benefits : On line 2 (ED Form 524), enter the amount of fringe benefits for each person listed under Personnel. The institution or agency’s normal fringe benefit contribution may be charged to the program. In the budget, include an explanation and appropriate justification if the institution or agency’s normal fringe benefit contribution exceeds 20 percent of salaries.

3. Travel : On line 3 (ED Form 524), provide the travel costs for project personnel. The evaluator’s travel must be included on line 6. In the budget, you should detail the proposed travel costs: for each trip explain the purpose and objective of the travel and provide the number of persons traveling. In addition to project travel, include in each year of the budget travel expenses for the project director, the evaluator (list on line 6), and one participant from each partner organization to attend a project directors’ meeting in Washington, D.C. Transportation costs should not exceed

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tourist class airfare. For automobile mileage, the established institution or agency rate should be used. Reimbursement is allowed for taxicab, bus, train, or limousine transportation. Per diem at the established institution or agency rate is permitted when an individual is away from home overnight on official project business (see OMB Circular A-21, J.48.c - Commercial Air Travel). Use of federal per diem and lodging rates are allowed. In the first year of the grant schedule an extra meeting for the project director and evaluator. This will be held in late fall or early winter. All travel must be domestic and related to the project’s overall purpose and proposed activities. No international travel is authorized under the grant.

4. Equipment: On line 4 (ED Form 524), indicate the cost of equipment -- non- expendable personal property, which has a usefulness of greater than one year and an acquisition cost of $5,000 or more per unit. Consistent with an applicant’s policy, a lower dollar amount may be used to define equipment. In the budget, explain why the requested equipment is necessary to carry out project activities, and include a list of all equipment in the following format: item, quantity, cost per unit, and total cost. FIPSE funds only equipment that directly supports the activities related to the proposed interventions.

5. Supplies: On line 5 (ED Form 524), include the costs of all tangible personal property that was not included as “equipment” on line 4. In the budget narrative provide an itemized list.

6. Contractual: All costs/fees/travel for the evaluator(s) should be included here. Provide a detailed breakdown of the costs (fees to be paid, estimated number of days of services, and all travel expenses, including per diem). Cost allowances for per diem and travel should not exceed amounts permitted by institutional policies.

7. Construction: Not applicable. Leave blank. The FITW program is a non- construction program and does not fund construction, remodeling, or renovation.

8. Other: On line 8 (ED Form 524), indicate all direct costs not covered on lines 1 through 5. Examples of “other” costs are: equipment rental, required fees, communication costs, and printing costs. In the budget, provide a breakdown of all direct costs not clearly covered by other budget categories.

FIPSE statutory language prohibits student financial assistance. That includes stipends, tuition, and all forms of student financial assistance. Funding to support housing, food, mentoring, tutoring, summer camps, or stipends for undergraduate research are also not an allowable cost.

Undergraduate and graduate students who work on grant administration or data collection may be paid out of grant funds

9. Total Direct Costs: On line 9 (ED Form 524), provide the total direct costs requested – the sum of lines 1 through 8.

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10. Indirect Costs: On line 10 (ED Form 524), provide the amount of indirect costs that you propose to charge against the grant. All grants awarded under the FITW Program are designated as training grants. The Education Department General Administrative Regulations (EDGAR) limit reimbursement to grantees for indirect costs they incur under training grants to the grantee’s actual indirect costs as determined by the grantee’s negotiated indirect cost agreement or a maximum of 8% of a modified total direct cost base, whichever is less. (NOTE: This limitation does not apply to State agencies, or local governments, or federally recognized Indian tribal governments. [§75.562(c) (2)])

A modified total direct cost base is defined as total direct costs, less stipends,tuition and related fees, and capital expenditures of $5,000 or more per unit.

Grantees charging indirect costs to a Department grant are required to have a negotiated rate with their cognizant agency (i.e., either the Federal agency from which it has received the most direct funding that is subject to indirect cost support, or a particular agency specifically assigned cognizance by the Office of Management and Budget). Although applicants are not required to submit with their application a copy of their indirect cost agreement to claim the 8 percent rate for funding received in this program, they are required to have documentation available for audit that shows that their negotiated indirect cost rate is at least 8 percent [§75.563(d)]. In the event that they receive an award under this program, applicants without a negotiated indirect cost rate with its cognizant agency should seek to identify that agency and contact it to obtain an approved rate as soon as possible after award notification.

Applicants should be aware that amounts representing the difference between the8% rate and a greater indirect cost rate negotiated with a cognizant agency may notbe charged to direct cost categories, used to satisfy matching or cost-sharingrequirements, or charged to another Federal award. [§75.563(c) (3)]

11. Training Stipends: Not applicable. Leave blank.

12. Total Costs: On line 12 (ED Form 524), provide the total amount for the entire four years that you are requesting – the sum of lines 9 and 10. Note: This amount should also be the same as that shown in 18g on the application face sheet (SF 424) and on the detailed budget narrative in Part III. Note to applicants about total funding. Peer reviewers and FIPSE staff will review the budget for line items and total amount requested. To ensure a competitive budget your request should be commensurate with the scope and scale of your project. Funding is dependent on merit, not institutional need. Make sure your request is reasonable in relation to the number of students involved, the number of staff and faculty working on the project, additional hires you may need, funding for the evaluation to meet the required level of evidence, the number of interventions, the frequency of data collections, and the costs for partners.

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SF-LLL DISCLOSURE OF LOBBYING ACTIVITIES

This disclosure form shall be completed by the reporting entity, whether sub-awardee or prime Federal recipient, at the initiation or receipt of a covered Federal action, or a material change to a previous filing, pursuant to title 31 U.S.C. section 1352. The filing of a form is required for each payment or agreement to make payment to any lobbying entity for influencing or attempting to influence an officer or employee of any agency, a Member of Congress, an officer or employee of Congress, or an employee of a Member of Congress in connection with a covered Federal action. Complete all items that apply for both the initial filing and material change report. Refer to the implementing guidance published by the Office of Management and Budget for additional information.

1. Identify the type of covered Federal action for which lobbying activity is and/or has been secured to influence the outcome of a covered Federal action.

2. Identify the status of the covered Federal action.

3. Identify the appropriate classification of this report. If this is a followup report caused by a material change to the information previously reported, enter the year and quarter in which the change occurred. Enter the date of the last previously submitted report by this reporting entity for this covered Federal action.

4. Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the reporting entity. Include Congressional District, if known. Check the appropriate classification of the reporting entity that designates if it is, or expects to be, a prime or subaward recipient. Identify the tier of the subawardee, e.g., the first subawardee of the prime is the 1st tier. Subawards include but are not limited to subcontracts, subgrants and contract awards under grants.

5. If the organization filing the report in item 4 checks “Subawardee,” then enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the prime Federal recipient. Include Congressional District, if known.

6. Enter the name of the federal agency making the award or loan commitment. Include at least one organizational level below agency name, if known. For example, Department of Transportation, United States Coast Guard.

7. Enter the Federal program name or description for the covered Federal action (item 1). If known, enter the full Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) number for grants, cooperative agreements, loans, and loan commitments.

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8. Enter the most appropriate Federal identifying number available for the Federal action identified in item 1 (e.g., Request for Proposal (RFP) number; Invitations for Bid (IFB) number; grant announcement number; the contract, grant, or loan award number; the application/proposal control number assigned by the Federal agency). Included prefixes, e.g., “RFP-DE-90-001.”

9. For a covered Federal action where there has been an award or loan commitment by the Federal agency, enter the Federal amount of the award/loan commitment for the prime entity identified in item 4 or 5.

10. (a) Enter the full name, address, city, State and zip code of the lobbying registrant under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995 engaged by the reporting entity identified in item 4 to influence the covered Federal action.

(b) Enter the full names of the individual(s) performing services, and include full address if different from 10(a). Enter Last Name, First Name, and Middle Initial (MI).

11. The certifying official shall sign and date the form, print his/her name, title, and telephone number.

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act, as amended, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless it displays a valid OMB control Number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is OMB No. 0348-0046. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 10 minutes per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the Office of Management and Budget, Paperwork Reduction Project (0348-0046), Washington, DC 20503

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GENERAL EDUCATION PROVISIONS ACT (GEPA)

The purpose of this enclosure is to inform you about a new provision in the Department of Education's General Education Provisions Act (GEPA) that applies to applicants for new grant awards under Department programs. This provision is Section 427 of GEPA, enacted as part of the Improving America's Schools Act of 1994 (Public Law (P.L.) 103-382).

To Whom Does This Provision Apply?

Section 427 of GEPA affects applicants for new grant awards under this program. ALL APPLICANTS FOR NEW AWARDS MUST INCLUDE INFORMATION IN THEIR APPLICATIONS TO ADDRESS THIS NEW PROVISION IN ORDER TO RECEIVE FUNDING UNDER THIS PROGRAM.

(If this program is a State-formula grant program, a State needs to provide this description only for projects or activities that it carries out with funds reserved for State-level uses. In addition, local school districts or other eligible applicants that apply to the State for funding need to provide this description in their applications to the State for funding. The State would be responsible for ensuring that the school district or other local entity has submitted a sufficient section 427 statement as described below.)

What Does This Provision Require?

Section 427 requires each applicant for funds (other than an individual person) to include in its application a description of the steps the applicant proposes to take to ensure equitable access to, and participation in, its Federally-assisted program for students, teachers, and other program beneficiaries with special needs. This provision allows applicants discretion in developing the required description. The statute highlights six types of barriers that can impede equitable access or participation: gender, race, national origin, color, disability, or age. Based on local circumstances, you should determine whether these or other barriers may prevent your students, teachers, etc. from such access or participation in, the Federally-funded project or activity. The description in your application of steps to be taken to overcome these barriers need not be lengthy; you may provide a clear and succinct description of how you plan to address those barriers that are applicable to your circumstances. In addition, the information may be provided in a single narrative, or, if appropriate, may be discussed in connection with related topics in the application.

Section 427 is not intended to duplicate the requirements of civil rights statutes, but rather to ensure that, in designing their projects, applicants for Federal funds address equity concerns that may affect the ability of certain potential beneficiaries to fully participate in the project and to achieve to high standards. Consistent with program requirements and its approved application, an applicant may use the Federal funds awarded to it to eliminate barriers it identifies.

What are Examples of How an Applicant Might Satisfy the Requirement of This Provision?

The following examples may help illustrate how an applicant may comply with Section 427.

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(1) An applicant that proposes to carry out an adult literacy project serving, among others, adults with limited English proficiency, might describe in its application how it intends to distribute a brochure about the proposed project to such potential participants in their native language.

(2) An applicant that proposes to develop instructional materials for classroom use might describe how it will make the materials available on audio tape or in braille for students who are blind.

(3) An applicant that proposes to carry out a model science program for secondary students and is concerned that girls may be less likely than boys to enroll in the course, might indicate how it intends to conduct "outreach" efforts to girls, to encourage their enrollment.

We recognize that many applicants may already be implementing effective steps to ensure equity of access and participation in their grant programs, and we appreciate your cooperation in responding to the requirements of this provision. Estimated Burden Statement for GEPA RequirementsAccording to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1894-0006. The time required to complete this information collection is estimated to average 1.5 hours per response, including the time to review instructions, search existing data resources, gather the data needed, and complete and review the information collection. If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate(s) or suggestions for improving this form, please write to: U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20202-4537.

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GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE AND RESULTS ACT (GPRA)

What is GPRA?

The Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) of 1993 is a straightforward statute that requires all Federal agencies to manage their activities with attention to the consequences of those activities. Each agency clearly states what it intends to accomplish, identifies the resources required, and regularly reports its progress to the Congress. In doing so, GPRA is improving accountability for the expenditures of public funds, improving Congressional decision-making with more thorough and objective information on the effectiveness of Federal programs, and promoting a new government focus on results, cost-effectiveness, service delivery, and customer satisfaction.

FIPSE performance is focused on:

(1) The extent to which funded projects are replicated (i.e., adopted or adapted by others). (2) The extent to which projects are institutionalized and continued after funding.(3) The extent to which the metrics used to assess and evaluate project results measure performance under the absolute priority the project is designed to address.(4) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that produce evidence of their effectiveness at improving student outcomes and college affordability, especially for low-income students.(5) The percentage of projects supported by FITW grants that provide high-quality implementation data and performance feedback that allow for periodic assessment of progress toward achieving intended outcomes.(6) The cost per student served by FITW grants.(7) The cost per successful student outcome.

If funded, you will be asked to collect and report data from your project on steps taken toward achieving the outcomes evaluated by these performance measures. Consequently, applicants are advised to include these outcomes in conceptualizing the design, implementation, and evaluation of their proposed projects. Replication, institutionalization, and accurate data are important outcomes that ensure the ultimate success of projects funded under this program.

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INTERGOVERNMENTAL REVIEW OF FEDERAL PROGRAMS

This program falls under the rubric of Executive Order 12372 (Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs) and the regulations in 34 CFR Part 79. One of the objectives of the Executive Order is to strengthen federalism--or the distribution of responsibility between localities, States, and the Federal government--by fostering intergovernmental partnerships. This idea includes supporting processes that State or local governments have devised for coordinating and reviewing proposed Federal financial grant applications.The process for doing this requires grant applicants to contact State Single Points of Contact for information on how this works. Multi-state applicants should follow procedures specific to each state.

Further information about the State Single Point of Contact process and a list of names by State can be found at:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/grants/spoc.PDF

Absent specific State review programs, applicants may submit comments directly to the Department. All recommendations and comments must be mailed or hand-delivered by the date indicated in the actual application notice to the following address: The Secretary, EO 12372--CFDA# 84.116F, U.S. Department of Education, Room 7E200. 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20202.

Proof of mailing will be determined on the same basis as applications (see 34 CFR §75.102). Recommendations or comments may be hand-delivered until 4:30 p.m. (eastern time) on the closing date indicated in this notice.

Important note: The above address is not the same address as the one to which the applicant submits its completed applications. Do not send applications to the above address.

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APPLICATION CHECKLIST

Before you submit the application package, please review the following list to ensure that you have attached all required materials/files in the prescribed format.

Part I: Application for Federal Assistance – SF 424Department of Education Supplemental Information Form for SF 424

NOTE: Please do not attach any narratives, supporting files, or application components to the Standard Form 424. Although this form accepts attachments, the Department of Education will review only materials/files attached to the attachment forms listed below.

Part II: Department of Education Budget Summary Form – ED 524 Sections A & BNOTE: Section B does not apply to this program. If uploaded leave it blank or write in NA

Part III: Project Narrative Attachment Form

Please note that the Project Narrative should not exceed 32 double-spaced pages. Upload as a pdf file.

Department of Education Abstract Form

Upload a one-page Abstract and Information Page as a pdf file.

Other Attachments (pdf files only) Key personnel resumes (limit 3 pp each) Project director resume (limit 3 pp) Evaluator(s) resume (limit 3 pp) Budget narrative Letters of commitment and support Citations

These will not be counted as part of the 32-page limit.

Part IV: Assurances and Certifications

GEPA Section 427 Assurances – Non-Construction Programs (SF 424B) Certification Regarding Lobbying (ED 80-0013) Disclosure of Lobbying Activities (SF-LLL)

AUTHORIZING LEGISLATION

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Authorizing Statute

Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (FIPSE) - Authorizing Legislation 200820 U.S.C. 1138-1138dHigher Education Act of 1965Title VII, Part B, Subparts 741-745(As amended by the Higher Education Opportunity Act of 2008)PART B, SEC. 741. — FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION(a) AUTHORITY — The Secretary is authorized to make grants to, or enter into contracts with, institutions of higher education, combinations of such institutions, and other public and private nonprofit institutions and agencies, to enable such institutions, combinations, and agencies to improve postsecondary education opportunities by–(1) the encouragement of reform and improvement of, and innovation in, postsecondary education and the provision of educational opportunity for all students, including nontraditional students;(2) the creation of institutions, programs, and joint efforts involving paths to career and professional training, including–(A) Efforts that provide academic credit for programs; and(B) Combinations of academic and experiential learning;(3) the establishment and continuation of institutions, programs, consortia, collaborations, and other joint efforts based on communications technology, including those efforts that utilize distance education and technological advancements to educate and train postsecondary students (including health professionals serving medically underserved populations);(4) the carrying out, in postsecondary educational institutions, of changes in internal structure and operations designed to clarify institutional priorities and purposes;(5) the design and introduction of cost-effective methods of instruction and operation;(6) the introduction of institutional reforms designed to expand individual opportunities for entering and reentering postsecondary institutions and pursuing programs of postsecondary study tailored to individual needs;(7) the introduction of reforms in graduate education, in the structure of academic professions, and in the recruitment and retention of faculties;(8) the creation of new institutions and programs for examining and awarding credentials to individuals, and the introduction of reforms in current institutional practices related thereto;(9) the introduction of reforms in remedial education, including English language instruction, to customize remedial courses to student goals and help students progress rapidly from remedial courses into core courses and through postsecondary program completion;

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(10) the provision of support and assistance to partnerships between institutions of higher education and secondary schools with a significant population of students identified as late-entering limited English proficient students, to establish programs that–(A) Result in increased secondary school graduation rates of limited English proficient students; and(B) Increase the number of participating late-entering limited English proficient students who pursue postsecondary education;(11) the creation of consortia that join diverse institutions of higher education to design and offer curricular and co-curricular interdisciplinary programs at the undergraduate and graduate levels, sustained for not less than a 5 year period, that–(A) Focus on poverty and human capability; and(B) Include–(i) A service-learning component; and(ii) the delivery of educational services through informational resource centers, summer institutes, midyear seminars, and other educational activities that stress the effects of poverty and how poverty can be alleviated through different career paths;(12) the provision of support and assistance for demonstration projects to provide comprehensive support services to ensure that homeless students, or students who were in foster care or were a ward of the court at any time before the age of 13, enroll and succeed in postsecondary education, including providing housing to such students during periods when housing at the institution of higher education is closed or generally unavailable to other students; and(13) the support of efforts to work with institutions of higher education, and nonprofit organizations, that seek to promote cultural diversity in the entertainment media industry, including through the training of students in production, marketing, and distribution of culturally relevant content.(b) PLANNING GRANTS — The Secretary is authorized to make planning grants to institutions of higher education for the development and testing of innovative techniques in postsecondary education. Such grants shall not exceed $20,000.(c) CENTER FOR BEST PRACTICES TO SUPPORT SINGLE PARENT STUDENTS —(1) The Secretary is authorized to award one grant or contract to an institution of higher education to enable such institution to establish and maintain a center to study and develop best practices for institutions of higher education to support single parents who are also students attending such institutions.(2) The Secretary shall award the grant or contract under this subsection to a four-year institution of higher education that has demonstrated expertise in the development of programs to assist single parents who are students at institutions of higher education, as shown by the institution's development of a variety of targeted services to such students, including on-campus housing, child care, counseling, advising, internship opportunities, financial aid, and financial aid counseling and assistance.(3) The center funded under this section shall–

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(A) Assist institutions implementing innovative programs that support single parents pursuing higher education;(B) Study and develop an evaluation protocol for such programs that includes quantitative and qualitative methodologies;(C) Provide appropriate technical assistance regarding the replication, evaluation, and continuous improvement of such programs; and(D) Develop and disseminate best practices for such programs.(d) PROHIBITION —(1) In general. – No funds made available under this part shall be used to provide direct financial assistance in the form of grants or scholarships to students who do not meet the requirements of section 484(a).(2) Rule of construction. – Nothing in this subsection shall be construed to prevent a student who does not meet the requirements of section 484(a) from participating in programs funded under this part.(e) PRIORITY — In making grants under this part to any institution of higher education after the date of enactment of the Higher Education Opportunity Act, the Secretary may give priority to institutions that meet or exceed the most current version of ASHRAE/IES Standard 90.1 (as such term is used in section 342(a)(6) of the Energy Policy and Conservation Act (42 U.S.C. 6313(a)(6)) for any new facilities construction or major renovation of the institution after such date, except that this subsection shall not apply with respect to barns or greenhouses or similar structures owned by the institution.(f) SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM FOR FAMILY MEMBERS OF VETERANS OR MEMBERS OF THE MILITARY —(1) Authorization. – The Secretary shall enter into a contract with a nonprofit organization with demonstrated success in carrying out the activities described in this subsection to carry out a program to provide postsecondary education scholarships for eligible students.(2) Definition of eligible student.--In this subsection, the term 'eligible student' means an individual who is enrolled as a full-time or part-time student at an institution of higher education (as defined in section 102) and is–(A) A dependent student who is a child of–(i) An individual who is–(I) serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481); or(II) Performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency (as defined in section 481);(ii) Was (at the time of death of the veteran) a spouse of a veteran who–(I) served or performed, as described in clause (i), since September 11, 2001; and(II) died as a result of such service or performance;or(iii) Is a spouse of a veteran who–(I) served or performed, as described in clause (i), since September 11, 2001; and(II) has been disabled as a result of such service or performance.

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(3) Awarding of scholarships. –Scholarships awarded under this subsection shall be awarded based on need with priority given to eligible students who are eligible to receive Federal Pell Grants under subpart 1 of part A of title IV.(4) Maximum scholarship amount. –The maximum scholarship amount awarded to an eligible student under this subsection for an award year shall be the lesser of $5,000, or the student's cost of attendance (as defined in section 472).(5) Amounts for scholarships. –All of the amounts appropriated to carry out this subsection for a fiscal year shall be used for scholarships awarded under this subsection, except that the nonprofit organization receiving a contract under this subsection may use not more than one percent of such amounts for the administrative costs of the contract.SEC. 742. BOARD OF THE FUND FOR THE IMPROVEMENT OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION.(a) ESTABLISHMENT — There is established a National Board of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education (in this part referred to as the `Board'). The Board shall consist of 15 members appointed by the Secretary for overlapping 3-year terms. A majority of the Board shall constitute a quorum. Any member of the Board who has served for 6 consecutive years shall thereafter be ineligible for appointment to the Board during a 2-year period following the expiration of such sixth year.(b) MEMBERSHIP — The Secretary shall designate one of the members of the Board as Chairperson of the Board. A majority of the members of the Board shall be public interest representatives, including students, and a minority shall be educational representatives. All members selected shall be individuals able to contribute an important perspective on priorities for improvement in postsecondary education and strategies of educational and institutional change.(c) DUTIES — The Board shall–(1) Advise the Secretary on priorities for the improvement of postsecondary education and make such recommendations as the Board may deem appropriate for the improvement of postsecondary education and for the evaluation, dissemination, and adaptation of demonstrated improvements in postsecondary educational practice;(2) advise the Secretary on the operation of the Fund for the Improvement of Postsecondary Education, including advice on planning documents, guidelines, and procedures for grant competitions prepared by the Fund; and(3) Meet at the call of the Chairperson, except that the Board shall meet whenever one-third or more of the members request in writing that a meeting be held.(d) INFORMATION AND ASSISTANCE — The Secretary shall make available to the Board such information and assistance as may be necessary to enable the Board to carry out its functions.

SEC. 743. ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS.The Secretary may appoint, for terms not to exceed 3 years, without regard to the provisions of title 5, United States Code, governing appointments in the competitive service, not more than 7 technical employees to administer this part

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who may be paid without regard to the provisions of chapter 51 and subchapter III of chapter 53 of such title relating to classification and General Schedule pay rates.SEC. 744. SPECIAL PROJECTS.(a) GRANT AUTHORITY — The Secretary is authorized to make grants to institutions of higher education, or consortia thereof, and such other public agencies and nonprofit organizations as the Secretary deems necessary for innovative projects concerning one or more areas of particular national need identified by the Secretary.(b) APPLICATION — No grant shall be made under this part unless an application is made at such time, in such manner, and contains or is accompanied by such information as the Secretary may require.(c) AREAS OF NATIONAL NEED — Areas of national need shall include at a minimum, the following:(1) Institutional restructuring to improve learning and promote productivity, efficiency, quality improvement, and cost reduction.(2) Improvements in academic instruction and student learning, including efforts designed to assess the learning gains made by postsecondary students.(3) Articulation between two- and four-year institutions of higher education, including developing innovative methods for ensuring the successful transfer of students from two- to four-year institutions of higher education.(4) Development, evaluation, and dissemination of model courses, including model courses that–(A) Provide students with a broad and integrated knowledge base;(B) include, at a minimum, broad survey courses in English literature, American and world history, American- political institutions, economics, philosophy, college-level mathematics, and the natural sciences; and(C) Include study of a foreign language that leads to reading and writing competency in the foreign language.(5) International cooperation and student exchanges among postsecondary educational institutions.(6) Support of centers to incorporate education in quality and safety into the preparation of medical and nursing students, through grants to medical schools, nursing schools, and osteopathic schools. Such grants shall be used to assist in providing courses of instruction that specifically equip students to–(A) Understand the causes of, and remedies for, medical error, medically induced patient injuries and complications, and other defects in medical care;(B) Engage effectively in personal and systemic efforts to continually reduce medical harm; and(C) Improve patient care and outcomes, as recommended by the Institute of Medicine.

SEC. 745. AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.There are authorized to be appropriated to carry out this part such sums as may be necessary for fiscal year 2009 and each of the five succeeding fiscal years

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PAPERWORK BURDEN STATEMENT

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 20/hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (20 U.S.C. 1138).  Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to regulations.gov during the public comment period for this collection of information.  If you have specific questions about the form, instrument or survey, please contact: 

Gary ThomasU.S. Department of Education (FIPSE)1990 K Street, N.W., Room 6153Washington, DC 20006-8544Tel: 202-502-7767Fax: 202-502-7877E-mail: OPEFITWdevelopment@ed.gov

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